Dougie Brown has emerged as a front-runner for the Netherlands coaching role

George Dobell and David Hopps28-Dec-2016

Dougie Brown has emerged as a front-runner for the Netherlands coaching role.Brown, the former England and Scotland all-rounder, was sacked as Warwickshire’s director of cricket at the end of the 2016 season despite the club lifting the Royal London One-Day Cup.After protracted discussions with Lancashire over compensation, Ashley Giles returned to Warwickshire in the role.Andy Moles, who has previously coached New Zealand, Afghanistan, Scotland, Kenya and Hong Kong, is also believed to be under consideration by Netherlands.While Chris Adams has enjoyed coaching success with the Netherlands – they won WCL Div 2 and the World T20 qualifier (shared with Scotland) in 2015 – he is understood to be reluctant to relocate to Holland.Adams will be in-charge for a tour to the United Arab Emirates in January in which the Netherlands will contest the Desert Twenty20I tournament, also involving Ireland, Scotland, UAE, Oman, Namibia and Hong Kong. They will then travel to Hong Kong for matches in the Intercontinental Cup and World Cricket League.He assumed the role of interim coach when Anton Roux stood down from the position in August this year to work with the Otago Volts. Roux worked with Netherlands cricket for three years from 2013 and was part of memorable wins, including the ones over England in the 2009 and in World T20 2014.Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, have also begun searching for a replacement for Wayne Noon as their assistant coach. Karl Krikken and Ben Smith are understood to be among those under consideration.

A scoreline of 557 for 5 may indicate one team has lorded it over the other, but that wasn’t entirely the case

Sidharth Monga in Indore09-Oct-20161:50

Agarkar: Kohli showed lot of mental discipline

There is a great anecdote Dion Nash tells. It opens in Ahmedabad – could be any town in India, but the dry state of Gujarat adds to the story. India are about 400 for 2, Daniel Vettori runs in to bowl, and Rahul Dravid pulls out. He had seen a butterfly land in the middle of the pitch. The tired New Zealand fielders wonder what’s happening.Adam Parore has had enough of the Indian batsmen piling on the runs, the Indian spinners taking the wickets, his own team-mates not having any fun. He rushes across and takes a swipe at the butterfly prompting Dravid to say, and Nash mimics the Indian accent, “Oh Parore, he has kicked the butterfly. That’s very bad luck for you guys.”India have been winning home Tests regularly but this kind of helplessness, of being ground down in the heat and the dust, has not been experienced by touring sides for a while.The first two days of the Indore Test were a return to the old norm. A Sunday crowd of more than 22,000 enjoyed the Indian batsmen turn their circumspect efforts on day one into gradual domination.A score of 557 for 5 declared does point to the wearing down of visiting sides theme, but there was no swiping at butterflies. On a slow pitch that didn’t suit them, New Zealand made India work hard for their runs. In response, India showed the patience required to rack them up. Ajinkya Rahane was tested thoroughly by bouncers. They rarely came at him at the pace he expected. Virat Kohli was made to cut out a lot of his flash. Both men’s application, determination and then the strokeplay put together India’s highest fourth-wicket partnership.There is a special joy to a long partnership. To see each other through tough periods, to feed off the other batsman’s fluency when you are struggling, to be there to take the heat off when his concentration breaks, to congratulate each other on the milestones, to gradually increase the pace, to then start thinking of the declaration.The scoreboard after Kohli and Rahane added 365 looks one-sided, but it has been hard-fought Test cricket. There was a bit of mutual admiration from both sides. Rahane said scoring a hundred despite his struggle, especially against the short ball, was what real Test cricket was. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said India’s response blunted all their plans.”High-quality batting,” Hesson said. “Took a good delivery to create half-chances, went through long periods of play where we reeled out a lot of plans, stuck to our game well but we were worn down. ‘Kohli killed us softly’ is the nicest way of describing it, after scoring about 120 singles.”Kohli took 115 singles and hit only 20 fours in his 211. Yet he managed a strike-rate of 57.65. Rahane was flashier at times, but he was tied down for long periods too. It was tough for New Zealand to bowl in hot and humid conditions; it wasn’t easy to play such a physical game for the batsmen either.1:49

Took very good deliveries to create half chances – Hesson

“Today, it was slightly difficult. [It was] hot and humid out there,” Rahane said. “So we just wanted to have fun between the overs. We didn’t discuss too much about cricket, but yes, yesterday we were talking about how we can approach our innings, and that partnership was really crucial for us. Today, we both decided that after our hundreds, we wanted to dominate the spinners. Because it was really hot and humid, so we wanted their fast bowlers to bowl at us so that we could get more runs.”New Zealand’s quicks were asked to bowl 67 overs between them, plus the 18 from James Neesham. They managed only two wickets, but they never looked like not wanting to be there. Even when Rohit Sharma was batting for the declaration, Trent Boult nearly added to his highlight reel of sensational catches. Matt Henry was wicketless, rarely did he bowl a bad ball.”A tough day but, sounds funny, also a satisfying day in terms of the standards we set,” Hesson said. “Our seam bowlers delivering 30 overs, 135-140 kph at times, in the heat and humidity. At no stage did we roll over and give soft runs. I thought it was a high quality day’s Test cricket. We contributed to that with our bowling. When you go over a 100 overs without a wicket, it can be demoralising. If you’re not strong-willed and keep fighting, it can be tough. But we did that pretty well.”A totally worn-out side that was ready to swipe at butterflies might have bowled poorly and been asked to start its survival quest much earlier than New Zealand did, with nine overs to go on day two. If India had not learnt and implemented their lessons in patience, there might have been another middling total.Instead, the weekend crowd enjoyed the home side piling on the runs, and we still have a potentially memorable Test in store. If India win it, we will see some excellent bowling; if New Zealand save it, there will be some monumental resistance.

Arsenal are "firmly in the driving seat" to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo after "multiple conversations" with his agents, according to reports.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

The north Londoners, according to various reports, have earmarked the signing of a central midfielder, or even two, during the upcoming summer transfer window.

This has lead to links with Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan, Wolves star Ruben Neves and Chelsea's Mason Mount among others – but it is in the defensive midfield where Arsenal are determined.

Indeed, a plethora of targets have been mentioned, including Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, yet perhaps the top two names are West Ham United's Declan Rice and Caicedo.

The former has attracted serious interest, with a bid apparently in the pipeline and verbal agreement already being reached, according to recent claims.

It appears the Gunners are favourites for Rice as things stand, but that apparently won't stop them making a move for Caicedo either.

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal do indeed want two midfielders this summer, so their "exciting progress" on a Rice deal won't affect Caicedo's potential arrival.

On the Ecadorian, it is believed Mikel Arteta's side are "firmly in the driving seat" to sign him this summer, coming after "multiple conversations" with the player's representatives and the ability to offer Champions League football.

In a further promising piece of news from the outlet, Brighton apparently believe Arsenal will pay the £75 million fee required for Caicedo's signature. The Premier League top four side agreed personal terms with him back in January, and they apparently still stand heading into the summer.

Who is Moises Caicedo?

Having starred on the south coast under Roberto De Zerbi last season, Caicedo is currently a hot commodity.

Only Pascal Gross and Lewis Dunk were selected more in the league for Brighton, with Caicedo also averaging more tackles and interceptions per 90 than any of his teammates over 22/23 (WhoScored).

South American football expert Tim Vickery is in no doubt over his quality, either, who said this on the 21-year-old before Brighton managed to sign him (BBC via Sussex Express):

“Caicedo is a terrific player. Independiente del Valle are a small club that continue to exist based on developing players in order to sell them.They do it unbelievably well, bringing in top-class Spanish youth coaches to develop their players. Caicedo made stepping into the first team at his club and with his national team look like a breeze in 2020.“He’s a box-to-box midfielder, a terrific athlete who is cool in possession. He’s not a wizard, not a glamorous player but he’s got so much to offer.”

Everton midfielder Amadou Onana is being targeted by Premier League rivals Manchester United ahead of a potential move to Old Trafford, according to reports.

What's the latest on Onana's future?

The Belgian international only arrived at Goodison Park from Lille last summer, but having impressed during his 32 appearances in his debut season in the top-flight, has already been attracting interest from the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge.

Football Insider have reported that Arsenal and Chelsea both hold a seriously strong interest in the 21-year-old, with the Toffees having accepted the fact that he will leave if they get relegated at the end of the season, and the task to keep hold of him just got a whole lot harder as a third potential suitor has now entered the race to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 term.

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United are “plotting a move” for Onana on the basis that Everton drop down to the Championship. The Red Devils are on the hunt to recruit a new midfielder during the upcoming window and have been “impressed” by Sean Dyche’s talisman’s instant impact on Merseyside.

Erik Ten Hag’s outfit are “actively monitoring” his situation and have placed themselves firmly in the running to compete with their rivals for his signature. It’s believed that the player is “interested” in joining a club at the highest level in a bid to nail down a regular spot for Belgium.

Should Everton keep or sell Onana?

Everton have a real defensive midfield gem on their hands in Onana, who has already been dubbed a “one-man army” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so Dyche needs to do everything he can to maintain the side’s top-flight status and retain his services beyond the summer.

The 6 foot 4 colossus, who currently pockets £100k-per-week, has won 43 tackles from 68 players challenged this season which is the second-highest throughout the whole of the squad, alongside averaging 1.8 successful aerial duels per league game with his height.

The World Cup participant also has the ability to chip in at the opposite end of the pitch with two assists and one goal to his name since joining, via Transfermarkt, so is a hugely useful option for the boss to have available at his disposal.

Finally, Onana provides wonderful versatility having already operated in defensive, central and attacking midfield during his opening campaign so even the thought of losing him will be a huge blow to the boss, the board and no doubt the supporters too.

Everything you need to know about the Lyon legend!

Every few years, there comes a budding striker who rises through the ranks of Ligue 1 and is hailed as the next big thing in French football, drawing comparisons to legends of the yesteryear such as Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Just Fontaine, and Jean-Pierre Papin to name a few.

One such youngster was Alexandre Lacazette, who made quite a name for himself at the youth levels at Lyon and made his debut for the first team as an 18-year-old.

Born on May 28, 1991, in Lyon, France, Lacazette began his football journey at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks of Olympique Lyonnais – or Lyon as it is more commonly known – his hometown club. He made his professional debut in 2010 and soon became a key figure for Lyon, consistently finding the back of the net and setting records along the way.

In 2017, Lacazette made a significant move to Arsenal in the Premier League. With his explosive pace, clinical finishing ability, and exceptional dribbling skills, he swiftly became a fan favorite at the London club. His debut season saw him score 17 goals in all competitions, showcasing his ability to thrive in a competitive and physically demanding league.

Lacazette, however, couldn't find the same level of success at international level that he has at club level as he made a total of 16 games from 2013 to 2017, scoring three games. He hasn't appeared for France since.

GOAL takes a look at some of the most interesting fun facts about the Lyon legend.

Guadeloupean origin

Although Alexandre and his family hail from France, the Lacazettes are actually of Guadeloupean origin. He was born to parents who left their native nation in the eastern Caribbean and moved to France in search of a better life. The island chain of Guadeloupe is located in the southern Caribbean Sea and is a French overseas territory.

AdvertisementA footballing family

Alexandre is the youngest of the four Lacazette brothers. While the striker went on the represent the French national team, his brother Benoit played in the Swiss second division and the French fourth division.

His cousin, Romuald, currently plays for FC Wacker Innsbruck in the Tiroler Liga in Austria, the fourth division of Austrian football. He was once on the books of Paris Saint-Germain, but never broke into the first team.

Scored the winning goal at the U19 European Championship

At the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, France locked horns against Spain, two years after La Roja had defeated Les Bleus in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship. The two sides comprised of the majority of the same players.

Trailing 1-0, France came from behind to win 2-1 in the final with Lacazette scoring the winner in the 85th minute from a Gael Katuta cross.

Lacazette would also go on to represent France at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2011, where the French finished in third place. He finished as the joint top scorer of the tournament with Brazil's Henrique Almeida and Spain's Alvaro Vazquez, netting five goals.

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GettyTwo of his three international goals for France came against Germany

Although Lacazette's international career never took off due to the presence of the likes of Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, and Kylian Mbappe, the Lyon man did manage to score three goals for France's senior national team.

Interestingly, two of those goals came against the then-world champions Germany in a friendly between France and their European rivals in November 2017. The game eventually ended in a 2-2 draw. He hasn't been called up to the France side since then.

His first-ever international goal came against Denmark in March 2015.

Details about the Brazil squad for the Women's World Cup 2023, including the players who may be included and those who may miss out.

Brazil will be looking for their first-ever World Cup victory at the 2023 edition of the tournament. Since its inception, the South American team has participated in every single edition but has not managed to go all the way yet.

They came closest in 2007 when they reached the final but lost out 0-2 to Germany. In the previous two editions, Brazil were knocked out in the Round of 16 and they will be hoping to go further and script history in 2023.

Head coach Pia Sundhage is set to name the final 23-member squad for the 2023 Women's World Cup on June 27. The squad will be updated once it is officially announced, but who is likely to make the cut? GOAL takes a look.

• Getty Images
  

  GOALKEEPERS

  Luciana has been the trusted pair of gloves in between the sticks for 10 years now and that status will remain unchanged when the team begins their 2023 World Cup campaign.

  In case Luciana cannot carry out her duties in goal, the able hands of Camila Rodrigues and Barbara could be available on the bench.

  Name	Club
  Camila Rodrigues	Santos
  Leticia Izidoro	Corinthians
  Barbara	Flamengo

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• Getty
  

  DEFENDERS

  If Brazil choose to employ a three-woman defence, Arsenal defender Rafaelle is sure to be one of the first names on the team sheet. She has over 80 caps for the national team and the FA Women's League Cup winner will be a difficult player to beat for whoever Brazil are pitted against at the World Cup.

  She will be joined by strong contenders Kathellen and Lauren in the centre-back positions, with the experienced Tamires defending the left flank and Antonia guarding the other side.

  Name	Club
  Antonia	Levante
  Kathellen	Real Madrid
  Rafaelle	Arsenal
  Tamires	Corinthians
  Lauren	Free agent
  Bruninha	NJ/NY Gotham FC
  Monica	Madrid CFF

• Getty Images
  

  MIDFIELDERS

  Kerolin and Luana are likely to be first-choice in the centre of the park for Brazil, a partnership that also took the field against England in the final of Women's Finalissima in April.

  They are likely to be supported by the skilled Adriana and the talented Ary Borges from either flank. If picked, the former could be the most experienced player in midfield for Brazil at the World Cup, with 42 caps and 12 goals so far.

  Name	Club
  Ana Vitória	Benfica
  Duda Sampaio	Corinthians
  Adriana	Orlando Pride
  Luana	Corinthians
  Ary Borges	Racing Louisville
  Kerolin	North Carolina Courage

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  FORWARDS

  Brazil's attacking talent is a serious threat to any opponent and fans will be looking forward to the final squad to check out who is included.

  Brazilian legend Marta lost time to injury last season but is likely to feature in what will be her final World Cup campaign. The fan-favourite forward has scored 115 goals from 175 appearances for the national team and will be looking forward to a grand finish to her illustrious international career.

  Andressa Alves, Bia Zenaretto, Geyse, Gabi Nunes and Debinha are all excellent options in the final third, and it will be interesting to see how the Brazilian attack shapes up at the World Cup.

  Name	Club
  Nycole	Benfica
  Andressa Alves	Roma
  Bia Zaneratto	Palmeiras
  Geyse	Barcelona
  Gabi Nunes	Madrid CFF
  Debinha	Kansas City Current
  Marta	Orlando Pride

Match facts

October 20-24, Chittagong
Start time 10.00am (0400GMT)

Big picture

The first Test is the meeting of a major force in Test cricket and an irregular participant. Bangladesh are resuming the format after a gap of more than 14 months, while by the end of year England will have played 17 Tests in 2016 including seven in eight weeks on the subcontinent.England have won all their eight Tests against Bangladesh – by comfortable margins as well, although sometimes after plenty of toil – but arguably are not the overwhelming favourites that history would suggest given the potential of a youthful top order and continued questions over their spin bowling.While they should still be the front-runners – the success in the ODI series will have boosted confidence in the conditions, although there is a significant turnover in personnel – given the oppressive heat and humidity, the lack of preparation time for some players and inexperience in others, they will be guarding against being too comfortable.Alastair Cook will become England’s most capped Test player, and will have to lead from the front in conditions he is familiar with, having toured Bangladesh as the U-19 captain in 2004 and later in his first assignment as Test captain in 2010. He is set to open with a newcomer, either Haseeb Hameed or Ben Duckett. The latter has impressed having scored four fifties during this tour – he could yet slot in at No. 4 – and Hameed showed his willingness to battle the new conditions during the warm-up matches.Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow will have to take care of the rest of the batting line-up while Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes will have to lead the bowling attack in the absence of James Anderson. Much focus will be on Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali and they are set to be joined by a third spinner with 39-year-old Gareth Batty, who played his previous Test in 2005, the favourite.The home side has a solid top six but due to injuries, loss of form and their 14-month break from Test cricket, have to make five changes since their last game. Much of their fortunes will depend on Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, though England will know not to count out Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah.But Bangladesh’s bowling will depend heavily on Shakib Al Hasan, who will have Taijul Islam for help though the rest of the attack may contain two Test debutants.Chittagong will pose the usual Bangladeshi challenges for the visiting team but, so far, England have been willing to roll up their sleeves. They have trained extra hard to get used to the heat and the pitches, as was seen during their sessions since the ODI series.So in their first meeting in more than six years, England and Bangladesh both have significant challenges to face. Once they come face to face, it could turn into a better contest than on paper.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh DDDLD
England LWWLD

In the spotlight

When it is England, much of the focus is on Tamim Iqbal who made the four Tests in 2010 memorable with his rapid scoring which including two centuries. His average against England, 63.12, is his highest against teams off which he has taken more than 500 runs.Ben Duckett has made four fifties on tour so far, and has looked more comfortable applying his own game into the local conditions than many of his more accomplished team-mates. Duckett is likely to make his debut, and could be a handful for the Bangladesh attack.

Team news

Bangladesh’s top six will be exactly the one that played the last Test, but the rest of the line-up will be changed. Sabbir Rahman and 18-year-old offspinner Mehedi Hasan are most likely to make their Test debuts and if the home side go with two pace bowlers, Kamrul Islam Rabbi would also be making his debut. If Mushfiqur keeps wicket, Nurul Hasan will be sitting out.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Kamrul Islam RabbiEngland will have to make at least three changes from their last Test XI, with Alex Hales (opted out), James Vince (dropped) and James Anderson (injured) unavailable. There was a late move which favoured Duckett opening with Cook and Hameed missing out, which would mean Gary Ballance retaining his place. The third spinner spot is between the Surrey pair of Batty and the uncapped Zafar Ansari.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Gary Ballance, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Gareth Batty, 11 Stuart Broad

Pitch and conditions

There is likely to be a slow pitch, which wouldn’t give any batsman a comfortable start. The spinners are likely to get more purchase after the first day but again it will be on the slower side. Dust bowls could appear but not until later in the contest. After the rain which threatened the ODI, the forecast is for it to be hot and sunny.

Stats and trivia

• The 14 months and 20 days since their last Test is Bangladesh’s longest duration between two Tests. The previous longest was exactly 14 months between June 4, 2010 and August 4, 2011.
• None of those in the Bangladesh squad has played 50 Tests, with Mushfiqur the highest with 48 caps.
• England are likely to have just two survivors from their previous Test in Bangladesh – in Dhaka during 2010 – with Cook and Broad having played on that occasion, although Steven Finn was also in the XI.
• Jonny Bairstow needs 43 runs for 2000 in Tests.

Quotes

“It is nice to be addressed as captain after a long time.”
“It’s going to be a very special day tomorrow on a personal note. This game is not going to be remembered for a personal thing, it’s going to be a team performance, but it’s going to be a special day to overtake a record of such a fantastic England cricketer.”

It’s safe to say Anthony Taylor has made a few enemies with his referee performance in last night’s Europa League final.

What’s the latest on Anthony Taylor and Jose Mourinho?

Meeting at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Sevilla played Roma in a scrappy encounter which ended 1-1 after 90 minutes before eventually being settled on penalties after a goalless extra time.

Two fine saves in the shootout from Yassine Bono, allowed Gonzalo Montiel the opportunity to win the tournament for Sevilla.

He actually missed the penalty but referee Taylor was advised by the VAR of an encroachment, and so the Argentine – who also netted the decisive penalty in the World Cup final – scored here at the second attempt to bring the trophy back to Spain yet again.

Throughout the game, however, much of the focus was on the officiating of the Premier League official as he handed out 13 yellow cards – a record for a European final.

Both teams had cause to be upset with the Englishman though. First of all, he failed to spot a possible foul on Ivan Rakitic shortly before Paulo Dybala’s opener.

Fans were furious right after that incident, taking to Twitter to make their feelings known.

Sadly for Taylor, things didn’t get any easier from there as he failed to give some big calls in Roma’s favour either.

Most notably, he failed to award the Serie A side a penalty for this potential handball inside the box.

After the defeat, Jose Mourinho – who had been booked during the game – seemed absolutely enraged with the referee’s display.

Speaking to the press (via Sky Sports), he publically questioned Taylor’s performance saying:

“It was an intense, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish.

“It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time.”

What’s more, the 60-year-old – who had just lost a European final for the first time in his career – was then spotted in the car park confronting the English official.

It’s certainly a shameful way to take defeat, even if the referee wasn’t at his best on the day. But then again, that’s just classic Mourinho.

Kristen Beams will look to return to cricket for the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s BBL, after being ruled out of action with a finger fracture

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2016Australia women legspinner Kristen Beams has been ruled out of the remainder of the home ODIs against South Africa due to a finger injury. She had fractured her right little finger during the third match on Wednesday in Sydney and parted with the squad on Friday.While the Australia squad headed to Coffs Harbour for the last two ODIs of the series, which they lead 3-0, Beams returned to Melbourne after undergoing surgery. Beams had bowled six overs for 35 runs and one wicket on the day.”You never want to see one of your team-mates get injured,” seamer Rene Farrell said before training at Coffs International Stadium on Saturday. “We’ve all been there and we’ve all had finger injuries before. Hopefully she’ll be right around the middle of the WBBL season. I know she’ll come back stronger, she’s a tough character.”Beams had broken her finger after bowling four overs on Wednesday and received medical treatment near the boundary line before returning to bowl another two and dismissed centurion Lizelle Lee in her final over.”Her finger was still dislocated and she bowled her last two overs for us,” Australia opener Nicole Bolton said. “That shows the strength of character of someone like Beamsy, who we heavily rely on with the ball, and for her to come out and do that for us was just incredible.”Beams had a terrific tour of Sri Lanka in September, across four ODIs and the lone T20I. She was the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series, which Australia whitewashed, with 13 scalps at a stunning average of 5.92 and took two four-fors. In the T20I, her figures of 3 for 11 from four overs restricted the hosts to 59 for 8. She had bettered her career-best figures in both formats on the tour.She is also Australia’s leading wicket-taker (18) in ODIs this year, behind South Africa legspinner Suné Luus (30), England’s Katherine Brunt (21) and Luus’ team-mate Ayabonga Khaka (21).

Alastair Cook is expected to meet Andrew Strauss imminently – perhaps as early as this Friday – to discuss his future with an announcement expected to follow shortly afterwards

George Dobell05-Jan-20170:35

Archive: Cook spoke about his future as captain after the series loss to India

Alastair Cook’s future as England captain could be resolved over the next few days.Cook is expected to meet Andrew Strauss imminently – perhaps as early as this Friday – to discuss his future with an announcement expected to follow shortly afterwards.Cook cut a somewhat beleaguered figure at times in India. As well as a run of losses – England have lost six of their most recent eight Tests – Cook looked jaded by the demands of the job and the time away from his family. He briefly returned from the tour of Bangladesh to witness the birth of his second child, but was able to spend no more than a few hours with his family before he was obliged to fly back to work.It may be that a period of rest and reflection has proved enough to revive his enthusiasm for the job. Or it may be that the relative speed with which he appears to have reached a decision is a sign that his mind was resolved to step down long before the end of the tour. Either way, Strauss – who is expected to arrive in the UK overnight on Thursday after a Christmas break in Australia – is expected to meet Cook upon his return to discuss the situation and, realistically, to learn of his decision.It remains unlikely that Strauss will sack Cook. While there might be legitimate concerns over the apparent divide of methods between Cook and the England coach, Trevor Bayliss, Cook retains a huge amount of respect from his team and there is no sign of any willingness for change from either the players or the coaches. The coaching staff have been at pains to state they prefer the no-change option and express the hope that Cook continues until the end of the Ashes.There should be no middle course. Cook must know that he either has to go now or continue, come what may, until the end of the Ashes. Anything else would be unfair on his replacement, who will have had very little captaincy experience and needs time to grow into the role. So, unless he is sure he can take defeat, or loss of personal form, or the media pressure, or all the rest of it, he has to go now. There is no scope for another England captain to resign midway through a series against South Africa and for a new man to be plunged into the role without time to plan or adapt.That replacement would be Joe Root. While Root has plenty on his plate already – his partner is due to give birth to their first child this week and he is, arguably, England’s most important batsman in all three formats of the game – his peers in other nations (the likes of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, in particular) have shown that the burden of captaincy need not dilute their effectiveness as players.If Cook does decide to step down – again, it seems unlikely that Strauss will sack him – he will leave with a proud record. To have won Test series in India and South Africa, as well as two home Ashes series, is remarkable. And, while there have been setbacks, too – most notably the 5-0 Ashes whitewash and his determination to continue as ODI captain long after it had become apparent that it was time to depart – the cheers with which he is greeted at grounds around the world suggest he remains hugely popular with the majority of England’s supporters.He may never have been the most astute tactician or eloquent orator, but he has been decent and hard-working and, for a couple of years, presided over a period of chaos (some of which may well have been of his own making) in his team and around the ECB with a calm determination that helped some talented young players find their feet in Test cricket. You will not hear a word against him from many of his team-mates past or present; though, yes, there are one or two notable exceptions.Either way, this will not be the end of the Cook story. There is no indication that he intends to step down as a player – quite the contrary; he is expected to relish a return to the ranks freed from the burden of leadership – and, aged 32, there is no reason he cannot add substantially to that tally of 11,057 Test runs.