COOK: GAG WARNE FOR PERSONAL ATTACKS

ALASTAIR COOK’S patience with his arch-critic finally snapped yesterday when he accused Shane Warne of making personal attacks on him and his England captaincy. The Australian has seemingly had it in for Cook ever since he called his 294 against India at Edgbaston three years ago ‘boring’ — but he cranked up his criticism of the England captain last winter and throughout the first Test against Sri Lanka. Ahead of today’s second Investec Test at Headingley, Cook responded to persistent negative comments from Warne — on Sky TV and in his newspaper column — about his tactics and the timing of his declaration against Sri Lanka at Lord’s by saying ‘something needs to be done’. Cook refused to bite when asked about Warne during his press conference yesterday but was more forthcoming in a radio interview with the BBC’s Jonathan Agnew. ‘Something needs to be done because in my eyes I’ve been criticised for a hell of a lot of my three years as captain,’ said Cook when asked for his response to ‘voluble’ remarks, in particular from Warne. ‘Yes, when you lose as captain you get criticised but I’ve also won a lot for England. I’ve won more one-day games than any other England captain, I’ve won an Ashes and away in India. I’m proud of that, so to be criticised for three years I find hard to take. ‘Support and positivity is what this England team need. The crowd at Lord’s were brilliant and got behind the lads. More support like that would stand everyone in good stead.’ Did Cook believe the criticism was personal? ‘Yes, I think it is,’ he said. There is no question to this observer that Warne, a close friend and confidant of Australian captain Michael Clarke and an ally of Kevin Pietersen, has been harsh and relentless in his attacks on Cook but whether the England captain should have responded in this way and at this time is questionable. Cook will only stoke up the fire and increase the pressure on himself — and would have been better off ignoring a man who is undoubtedly one of the greats but, to my mind, is a one-eyed and repetitive commentator. Quite what Cook feels can be done to stop Warne is not clear but he cannot expect to silence or censor a pundit who is paid to give his views. The deportation of voluble Australians is beyond the power even of an England captain or ECB chairman Giles Clarke, who complained to Sky about Warne’s attacks on Cook. But the new England have received a lot of support and there were far more positive assessments of the Lord’s performance than negative ones.