England Cricket

When Alastair Cook was applauded off the field after the opening day of the third Test against West Indies in Barbados, he must have felt things were finally on the up.

Although he had just been dismissed in the final over before the close in Bridgetown, England’s captain had finally ended his century drought (stretching back nearly two years) by making 105 in his team's first innings.

His personal success came on the back of a team triumph in the second match of the series, England’s first Test win on the road since they got the better of India in Eden Gardens back in December 2012.

Move forward just three weeks, however, and Cook’s world doesn't look so rosy right now.

The battling hundred he made ended up being in a losing cause, meaning a drawn series. England had been denied by their hosts in the first Test, then wasted a first-innings advantage in the last fixture to lose by five wickets.

Since returning home from the Caribbean, Cook has seen England’s new director of cricket, his former opening partner Andrew Strauss, decide to axe head coach Peter Moores and dismiss any notion of an international comeback for Kevin Pietersen.

What it all means is the pressure on Cook has been ratcheted up to another level.

He is heading into a huge summer with an interim coach (Paul Farbrace) by his side and with the public once again wondering why Pietersen, England’s leading run-scorer in all competitions, is not going to be making a Test appearance for the foreseeable future, if ever again.

The Daily Mirror ran a back page saying Cook had made an ultimatum to the England and Wales Cricket Board: it was either him or KP.

If that were true, he has received the backing of his employers. But, that support will not be everlasting—England need to win games, starting with the upcoming home series against New Zealand.

When Strauss held his first press conference at Lord’s, the announcement of Joe Root being appointed as England’s new vice-captain was rather overshadowed by all the talk about Pietersen.

Strauss said of Root, per Sky Sports: “He's got outstanding leadership capabilities and we need him to start thinking more as a captain.”

The young Yorkshireman has clearly been earmarked for the job at some stage in his career, but could his time as captain come sooner rather than later?

Sir Ian Botham believes Root should be in charge right now, per the Daily Mirror (h/t Sky Sports):

It is time for Alastair Cook to move aside and take some of the responsibility for the mistakes that have been made over the last 18 months.

Cook is a fine Test batsman but he is not a captain.

I would give the job to Root and tell him to mould an attacking team with an attacking coach in Gillespie.

Geoffrey Boycott has also been critical of captain Cook, writing in his column for the Daily Telegraph: “Alastair Cook is a top-class batsman with an excellent record, but his tactical awareness and cricketing nous do not compare with the great England captains.”

The heat is most definitely on, but it’s not like Cook hasn’t been here before.

He fought valiantly to remain in charge of the one-day team, only to be jettisoned with the Cricket World Cup just around the corner.

That decision still rankles with Cook. Even in March he was still smarting, per Nick Hoult of the Daily Telegraph: "The selectors made that decision because they thought it was the best for English cricket. Hindsight has probably proved them wrong, but now it’s very easy to say that."

Then, however, the batsman’s issue in the 50-over format was a lack of runs.

In Test action, his form has not been a problem of late—he averaged 49.66 in the home series against India last summer, then 53.60 against West Indies recently. In his last 13 innings, the Essex left-hander has hit five half-centuries to go with that long-awaited ton in Barbados.

The issue for Cook in Test cricket, though, is not runs—it is about results.

He has won 13 of his 31 Tests in charge, with nine defeats and the same number of draws, per Howstat.com.

However, nine of those victories came in his first 15 matches at the helm, during which time he suffered only one loss, away in India in a series his side would eventually go on to win.

New Zealand will be a tough challenge next, but for England it is just the appetiser ahead of an Ashes series with Australia, the team who humiliated them 5-0 in the winter of 2013/14.

The absence of Pietersen—who has made 23 Test hundreds but hasn't played for England since that Ashes whitewash—undoubtedly makes the hosts weaker.

In a column for ESPN Cricinfo, former Australia captain Ian Chappell wondered if the ECB had picked the right man to side with. He wrote:

England have obsessed over who should be the new director of cricket and whether they needed a different coach, while avoiding the most important question: can England win the Ashes with Cook as captain?

No, they can't, and if he is been retained as Test captain on the basis of being a likeable person then that's poor reasoning. Like or dislike is a minor matter in captaincy choices.

The dithering over the captaincy will continue to affect England. The appointment of their next coach is a case in point. Will the best candidates want to be involved now with a team that doesn't contain Pietersen and has Cook as its captain?

Pietersen isn't going to appear in the upcoming Ashes, but he is going to be a talking point throughout. Each time England collapse or when a member of their middle order goes through a lean spell, you know whose name will crop up quickly.

Cook might just be grateful to focus on a game of cricket when he walks out for the toss alongside Kiwi counterpart Brendon McCullum on Thursday.

It will be the first of seven Tests during a huge, make-or-break summer for his leadership. If he is successful, the large, looming shadow of Pietersen that hangs over the team will begin to disappear.

Lose, however, and he could find himself a foot soldier in Root's ranks by the time England travel to South Africa in December.

The announcement of England’s squad for the Test series at home to New Zealand centered primarily on new players who were included and more senior ones who were not.

There will potentially be two debutants in the form of opening batsman Adam Lyth and fast bowler Mark Wood, with batsman Kevin Pietersen still unable to revive his international career.

However, the star player this summer against the Black Caps will be another Yorkshire player, who will occupy the crucial No. 3 position in the batting order: Gary Ballance.

That spot in the lineup will be critical for a number of reasons, and Ballance will flourish in his role as the glue of England’s batting.

Against Tim Southee and Trent Boult—ranked the No. 9 and No. 6 Test bowlers in the world by the ICC—Ballance will be relied upon to provide some stability in the top order.

He may well end up facing a relatively new ball in conditions that are likely to favour the two New Zealand seamers, especially given the rain and clouds that will likely be in the air.

In this context, the No. 3 position ends up becoming almost like an auxiliary opening batsman, as they may be required to come in almost immediately and see off the new ball.

Further to this, with a brand new opener taking the field in the form of Yorkshire team-mate Lyth, Ballance will be relied upon to be a calming influence at the crease if captain Alastair Cook is dismissed early.

He may have only played 11 Tests so far, but in his brief time in international cricket, Ballance has shown he is more than capable of rising to the challenges he faces.

Ballance’s batting average is 62.35 after a very strong start that includes four centuries: two against India, and one apiece against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

Beyond the pure statistics, he has already shown himself to be a reliable member of the England team at No. 3, like Jonathan Trott was in that same position before him.

Perhaps he is not the most exuberant batsman or the most noticeable, but he has a quiet confidence and reassurance in everything he does that will be vital in blunting New Zealand.

When Ballance was first elevated to the No. 3 position, he had very little experience of the role, given he would normally bat at No. 4.

However, that faith England showed in him was rewarded as he scored three centuries in his first six Tests in the position.

It shows he can rise to the occasion, especially as two of those centuries came on the biggest stage of all at Lord’s, against Sri Lanka and India.

New Zealand presents a very difficult challenge, especially as they will still be on a high from their run to the World Cup final on home turf.

Boult, Southee and their team-mates will be determined to prove themselves in helpful conditions that should suit them down to the ground.

However, Ballance will back himself to have a real impact with the bat, and given what has gone before, he should be one of England’s star performers.

They need him to play a big role, and he will do just that.

So now Kevin Pietersen knows for certain: England will not be picking him in the near future.

If incoming England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves had left the door ajar for a Pietersen comeback in an interview with BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek show back in March, it was firmly slammed shut on Monday night by Andrew Strauss, the man appointed by the ECB as director of English cricket.

Graves' words suggested a return to county action, followed by a hatful of runs, could see the batsman make a stunning comeback to the international fold.

Sacked after the 5-0 Ashes whitewash suffered in Australia in the winter of 2013/14, Pietersen did exactly what was asked of him.

He negotiated his way out of a contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, rejoined Surrey and marked his fifth innings of the LV= County Championship season with a triple hundred.

It wasn't so much a gentle reminder of his talents, more a case of him declaring from the rooftops his availability through a megaphone.

Still, it wasn't enough. It turns out no matter how many runs he scored for Surrey, it wasn't going to be enough for England to have a change of heart.

At a press conference at Lord's on Tuesday, Strauss—along with the ECB's new chief executive, Tom Harrison—found himself answering questions on a topic that has dogged England's hierarchy for over a year.

The answer was clear: "I've let him know he's not part of our plans for the future," Strauss told Sky Sports (h/t ESPN Cricinfo's Alan Gardner).

England are willing to overlook their leading run-scorer in all forms of the game during an Ashes summer. Pietersen admitted he was "absolutely devastated" in his exclusive column for the Telegraph. In the same piece he declared he felt "deeply misled" and that he was "angry and hurt."

So what does the future hold for KP now?

While Strauss never closed the door entirely on him being selected for England again, with his 35th birthday not too far away, the South African-born right-hander must realise his career at the highest level is over.

He has experience of being in this situation before, of course, leading to him becoming a Twenty20 specialist in 2014.

His next move was set to be to the Sunrisers, who had agreed with the player that he would travel to India for the final stages of the IPL season if his franchise had a chance of making it to the knockout stages.

Hyderabad are in contention, but their plan to add Pietersen to their squad for the run-in has been dashed by a calf injury. Instead of flying to India, he is heading to Dubai for a break, per Sky Sports.

What happens after that isn't completely clear, though Sky Sports News HQ's Twitter account outlined a potential schedule for Pietersen:

He was already signed to play for the St Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League T20 competition, which starts on June 20 and runs for just over a month.

There is also another year to go on his deal with the Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash too, one he is likely to now fulfil as there's little to no chance of him being part of England's touring squad to South Africa.

After that, who knows. Pietersen really has no need to continue playing for Surrey, but the county's director of cricket, Alec Stewart, hopes they have not seen the last of him. He said, per the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser:

If he still has the appetite to score runs for us, we would love to have him back.

We signed him because it would be good for us as he is very good at helping the young lads develop.

He needed us to force his way into the England team again, but now the door is shut on that.

That appetite will have decreased following his meeting with Strauss and Harrison.

Pietersen did play for Surrey in the English T20 competition last year, and he may feel some loyalty to continue turning out for a county that offered him the chance to play first-class cricket again at short notice.

He has been fully committed to their cause this year, and he showed his value with that astonishing knock of 355 not out against Leicestershire at the Oval.

It seems, though, he is destined to become a hired gun again—a player with a big name who will not only boost a team's scoring power but also add numbers to the crowd, as well as attract sponsors.

The only certainty for Pietersen is that he won't be playing for England this summer. He can definitely trust me on that.

Kevin Pietersen was on his way to a personal best first-class score of 355 not out as new England director of cricket Andrew Strauss was informing the world that he would not be considered for selection for the national team.

For KP, who had returned to Surrey in the hope of earning an England recall, it was a case of so near, yet so far—but as our gif artist @_EOW_ depicts above, his former captain Strauss appears to have put the final nail in the coffin of his England chances. 

But it's not a stance that has had much support this morning. For a start, two respected international captains have had their say, using the hashtag #StraussLogic:  

I see the head boy is making English cricket the laughing stock again! #StraussLogic

— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) May 12, 2015

Kumar Sangakkara, meanwhile, could scarcely believe that despite being denied a recall, Strauss asked Pietersen to advise England on the one-day team:

"I don't trust @KP24 enough for him to play for England but I trust him enough to advise me on ODI cricket" #strausslogic .

— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) May 12, 2015

Shane Warne plumped for simply #shambles to sum up his view:

Read that my old mate Strauss has said KP won't play for Eng, but offered him an advisory role to help Eng ? What the ? Serious ? #shambles

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) May 12, 2015

Elsewhere, there was plain anger, as best represented by KP's ally Piers Morgan:

Paul Downton must be thrilled - he's no longer the worst manager in England cricket history. #StraussOut #BringBackKP

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 12, 2015

Meanwhile, online polls seemed to tell a clear story on whether England fans wanted Pietersen back or not:

The people want KP back but Strauss can only trust him to be an advisor #StraussLogic pic.twitter.com/LyslPzajyB

— Rhys Dunn (@rhysdunn882) May 12, 2015

Perhaps the saddest sight was Pietersen's match highlights being tweeted out by the ECB on the morning his route back to the national team was blocked:

Follow the links to free #LVCC highlights, including of Kevin Pietersen's 326 not out. http://t.co/xZHzwu6W1J pic.twitter.com/vnGpeSaB5t

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) May 12, 2015

Here's what you could have won, England.

[Gif by @_EOW_]

Geoffrey Boycott has never been one to mince his words.

In his column for the Daily Telegraph on May 4, the Yorkshireman wrote plenty of them about the current England Test captain, Alastair Cook.

The opening line set the tone for what was to come: “Every time Alastair Cook opens his mouth, he sticks his foot in it.”

For a man known for his stoic defensive abilities with the bat during his long and illustrious career, Boycott came out swinging right from the very start. He was in attack mode, and Cook was the one he was targeting.

So, what had made him go on the offensive?

After losing the third Test to the West Indies to draw the series 1-1, Cook suggested that soon-to-be England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves had fired up the hosts with his comments prior to the tour.

Graves, a Yorkshireman, had branded West Indies “mediocre” and suggested there would be “some enquires” if England did not beat them, per BBC Sport.

In the aftermath of the five-wicket defeat in Bridgetown, Barbados, Cook was asked about Graves’ words. His response, to BBC Sport, was to say: “That’s a Yorkshireman for you—they’re quite happy to talk a good game.”

That was always going to rile one of the county's favourite sons, and Boycott hit back by writing:

Cook conveniently forgets that two of his best young players, Joe Root and Gary Ballance, are from Yorkshire, and four others in his squad. Did he stop for a minute to think about how they would feel about that remark?

So does it follow that if Graves, before the West Indies tour, had called England “rubbish,” maybe our team would have raised their game? 

Graves is going to be his new boss on May 15, yet it is unbelievable that Cook talks disrespectfully about him. Alastair is so up his own a--e, he thinks he is untouchable as England captain and the only guy who can do the job.

Let's be clear: Boycott is not diminishing the talents of Cook the player. He stated that the Essex opener is a “top-class batsman with an excellent record.”

His issue is over Cook's captaincy skills, and it is hard not to come down on the same side as the opinionated commentator.

Here are the simple numbers: Cook’s 31 Tests in charge have seen him compile a win-loss-draw record of 13-9-9. That gives him a winning percentage of 41.9.

To compare that to previous England leaders, Strauss was 23-11-16 in his time at the helm (46 percent), while Michael Vaughan was 26-11-14 (50.9 percent).

But this isn't just about simple statistics.

Cook leads like he bats—he is solid, but unspectacular. He sticks to what he knows, choosing to be cautious over courageous. He can be stubborn, which works well at the crease but less so in his other role.

For example, in a short tour that included three Tests, England picked the same XI on each occasion.

After the selectors had picked a squad containing several new faces, the management team of Cook and coach Peter Moores, who has since lost his job, decided to stick with what they knew.

They ignored the opportunity to assess new players; opener Adam Lyth was overlooked in favour of Jonathan Trott for the trio of matches, for instance, as they seemed more concerned with getting results. The policy backfired—West Indies pegged them back, and Trott has since retired from international cricket.

As Boycott pointed out, there is a “siege mentality” now with Cook. It is as if he is fighting for survival.

Having already lost the captaincy in ODI cricket, he appears desperate to hang on to his Test job. The problem is, his personal desperation isn't doing the national team any favours at all.

England have some excellent talent emerging; Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, to name just three, have all shown signs of promise in the early stages of their Test careers.

However, players with raw ability, who perform best when allowed to play an attacking brand of cricket, cannot flourish when handcuffed by the fear of losing.

What should worry Cook the most is that even Boycott, not a man known for his outlandish behaviour, unless it comes to his attire, bemoaned his lack of imagination as a captain.

Cook has to show faith in his players, and not just those who he fully trusts. It should be noted that he leaned heavily on the two senior bowlers he trusts during the tour to the Caribbean.

James Anderson sent down 119.2 overs in the series, while Stuart Broad was not too far behind in terms of work rate. He got through 111 overs on wickets that were, in the main, unresponsive.

They are worrying numbers considering the packed schedule England face in the coming months. They welcome New Zealand at home ahead of an Ashes series, then head out to South Africa in the winter.

It could be a tough year for Cook if he does not alter his style of leadership. Even with former opening partner Strauss now installed as director of cricket, he has to know the pressure is on to perform, not just in his role as a batsman, but also as the captain of the team.

To give Boycott the final say: “It’s not personal, just a professional view.”

All statistics used in the article were from ESPN Cricinfo or Howstat.com