Cook: Players didn't let Giles down

Cricket365
April 21, 2014

England captain Alastair Cook has played down suggestions that the team's poor ODI form played a major role in Ashley Giles being overlooked as head coach.

Limited-overs coach Giles appeared to be favourite to replace Andy Flower as England mentor following the Ashes, but he missed out as the England and Wales Cricket Board opted for Peter Moores instead.

Many believe that England's limited-overs woes which saw them lose 10 out of 14 ODIs and T20s against Australia and West Indies, and also make an early exit from the World Twenty20 turned the tide against Giles.

The left-handed Cook admitted he is "gutted for him; he is a very good guy", but insists the ECB hierarchy went for the experience of Moores.

"I don't think you can say the players let Ashley down," he said. "We all got behind him, liked his methods, worked hard and enjoyed working under him. He's a very good coach.

"I don't think those results had an impact on picking Moores as coach. Peter has 16 years of coaching experience and has been successful and he [Paul Downton, the managing director of England cricket] thought it would be wrong to ignore that."

Cook is also confident that he and Moores will work well together and help England to get back on track.

"Look, I think it's going to be our team," he said. "Certainly we have to work very closely together, and I think you see when two (people) work together very well and they build something over a period of time how successful something can be if they're on the same page.

"Obviously me and Mooresy have got to chat about it but I have been consulted throughout the interview process. I'm sure we pretty much sing off the same hymn sheet, otherwise I don't think he would have been appointed.

"Me and (Andy Flower) get on really well and we have been in contact over the last couple of months, working on things with my captaincy, and I think having him as an advisor on that is something he wants to do and I want to do.

"But me and Mooresy have to be totally clear on what we want to do: me and him will steer the ship. Andy won't be making decisions behind our backs."