Cook: We don't know our best 11 at the moment
Captain Alastair Cook conceded England's chances of winning next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand are unlikely, after slipping to an embarrassing nine-wicket defeat – and three-nil series loss – to India in Tuesday's fourth ODI at Edgbaston.
Captain Alastair Cook conceded England's chances of winning next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand are unlikely, after slipping to an embarrassing nine-wicket defeat – and three-nil series loss – to India in Tuesday's fourth ODI at Edgbaston.
The home side crawled to a modest total of 206 all out on the back of batsman Moeen Ali's standalone 67, but copped plenty expense at the hands of centurion Ajinkya Rahane and half-centurion Shikhar Dhawan, who afforded the visitors triumph with all of 117 deliveries to spare.
"At this precise moment in time, no, I'm not resigning as captain. I don't have a say on selection, but I've captained for three and a half years with the goal to try to win the World Cup in Australia," said Cook.
"I know that seems a bit farfetched at the moment, when we're losing games of cricket, but there's a lot of really good players in that changing room. We don't quite know our best 11 at the moment, because the results are showing we're not performing."
The left-handed Cook's poor stretch of form at the top of the limited-overs batting order has been the subject of plenty of criticism. He has managed a mere 72 runs in three innings against the Indians this series – and has not scored a century in this format of the international game since June 2012.
"You always have those doubts – I've had those doubts for 80 games and 100 Test matches – so you always are trying to prove you're good enough and trying to contribute runs for an England win," added Cook.
"That's the ultimate aim as a batter. In international cricket, you're tested every single day – and when you do that there's always doubts. That doesn't change. This is when you get really tested as an international player, because people start questioning your technique and start questioning your place in the side – from outside of the group."
The fifth and final ODI will get underway at Headingley in Leeds on Friday. A one-off Twenty20 International will follow at Edgbaston 48 hours later.
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