London: Alastair Cook believes it is “the right time for me, and the right time for the team” that he steps down as the England Test captain.
Cook resigned on Monday after more than four years in the role. He captained England in a record 59 Tests, winning the Ashes twice and recording famous series wins in both South Africa and India.
He was also captain for the Ashes whitewash in 2013/14, as well as the 4-0 defeat to India before Christmas, a series he admitted left him feeling “I didn’t think I could do it again”.
“It has been an incredibly tough decision [to step down],” Cook told Sky Sports at Lord’s. “It’s been a huge honour, I’ve loved every part of it, even the bad times. Leading England is an honour, but a job you have to commit 100 per cent to.
“There have been certain times throughout my four or five years I’ve been to the well and dug pretty deep. But coming back from India, the way I felt then, I didn’t think I could do it again. It’s a job you cannot operate at 95 per cent.
“When I looked in that mirror, I felt it was time. It’s sad in one sense, I’ve loved the honour, the prestige and leading great men, with some great moments as England captain. But it’s the right time for me, and the right time for the team that I step down.”
Cook admitted he had agonised over the decision because he enjoyed the role, and reasserted his desire to play on as a batsman.
“There are good times, it’s not all criticism, not all doom and gloom,” he said. “It’s a challenging job, not sure what you’ll have thrown at you. The decision has been hard because I knew what I was giving away. But I had to be honest with myself. I look forward to the next part of my career — supporting the new guy, hopefully scoring some runs, and being part of England’s success.”
Asked what advice he would give his replacement, widely expected to be Joe Root, Cook replied: “If I had been given some advice it would be: make sure you don’t always do it your way. There are a lot of great people out there who watch a lot of cricket and know more than you do — ultimately you have to make your own decision but use that advice and be open to it.”
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