Anderson agrees with Cook’s WC sacking

2015 World Cup

Cricket365
December 27, 2014

England bowler James Anderson feels the decision to relieve Alistair Cook from the captaincy of the One-Day side, and drop him from the World Cup squad, was the right one.

The England and Wales' Cricket Board took the decision to drop Cook, and replace him with Eoin Morgan, after some poor batting form in the past 12 to 18 months.

Anderson, who is going to spearhead England's bowling attack at the World Cup, felt that Cook did not do enough to show the selectors that he deserves to play at the showpiece event.

Cook has scored just one fifty in his last 22 ODI innings and his last century was two-and-a-half year ago. England have also lost four series out of four when Cook has been at the helm this year.

Anderson told BBC Radio Five Live: "I think if you're going on form alone, his form in the last 12 to 18 months hasn't been near the standard that it needs to be to stay in the team and he'll openly admit that."

"I think I saw an interview with him after the one-day series in Sri Lanka and he said that if he gets dropped he'd have to hold his hands up and say his form hasn't been good enough so I think there is that."

Anderson did, however, feel Cook did everything in his power, in the background, to find the form required to lead his country at the World Cup, which starts in Australia and New Zealand in mid-February.

The paceman said: "I feel sorry for him because he's done such a lot of work behind the scenes, he's really taken the captaincy with both hands and he wants to drive the team forward and he's got a real vision of where he wants the team to go.

"I think that's probably the biggest disappointment for him, that he won't be able to carry that on throughout the one-day series and the World Cup."