Cook: I'm desperate to turn English cricket around

Cricket365
June 25, 2014

England captain Alastair Cook has refused to resign in the wake of another Test series defeat.

England, who endured a five-nil whitewash at the hands of Australia earlier this year, suffered a one-nil defeat to Sri Lanka in Leeds on Tuesday.

This week's decisive fixture also marked a 24th consecutive Test innings without a century for batsman Cook, who perished for just 17 and 16 at Headingley.

"I've never quit on anything I've done. I've given it my all, all the time. Every 104 games I've played for England, I've left everything out there. It's the same situation here. Until that moment somebody tells me they don't want me to be captain, I'll still be here," insisted Cook.

"I'm incredibly proud to be England captain. I've been selected to do it.
"If someone decides I'm not the right person for the job, and the results don't justify me doing it, then fine. Until that moment, I'm desperate to try to turn English cricket around.

"Obviously, as a captain, you are responsible. We didn't bowl very well. It wasn't for lack of trying. We knew we had to bowl that fuller length, we knew what we were trying to do, but we just didn't get it right."

Cook found consolation in the fine performance of batsman Moeen Ali, whose maiden Test century almost secured a draw. Instead, defiant tail-ender James Anderson perished to the penultimate scheduled delivery to afford Sri Lanka a rare series win in the United Kingdom.

"It was an incredible effort – Moeen's ton, for a free-flowing batsman to be so controlled, measured and calm under that pressure – can only bode well for the future. That was a great way to really announce yourself in the international game," he added.

"James, right at the end, I think that just shows to everybody who doesn't really know us as blokes what it means to play for England. You sometimes get accused of not caring that much, especially when things don't go that well."