Alastair Cook: I've got a point to prove
England vice-captain Alastair Cook says he has a point to prove this winter as England take on Australia in the Ashes.
Cook averages a very modest 26 in Test matches against the old enemy and says this is a figure that has to be much higher. Cook was one of the only players to score a century on the last tour of Australia,
scoring 116 in the second innings of the Perth Test match.
There have always been questions over Cook's technique because he is not a naturally easy player on the eye to watch. However, he has found a way to score 4364 runs in his Test career to date and will
be looking to add to this.
Cook is a fine player in many respects and England can be confident there are very few questions over his opening partnership with Andrew Strauss. However, there are slight issues with technique that the
Australians will focus on.
A fine Test match player
Cook is perfect for the Test match game because his mentality is so calm and refreshed. He does not get intimidated on any stage and scored a century on his England debut in the hostile environment of
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
Cook plays the short ball very well, which will be important on the hard and bouncy pitches of Australia. The ball will come onto the bat quickly and Cook can cash in on this because he's a back foot player.
He's now played 60 Test matches, which proves his experience and backs up the fact he's been made vice-captain. Cook will play a major role over the winter in offering new and inventive ideas over how
to get key Australian players out.
"The one side I haven't played as well as against than the other sides has been Australia. I have got that point to prove over the next three months. Last time [in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746] I was obviously 21-years old;
to come here as an opening batter, as a youngster, was a very tough learning curve," said Cook.
Australians on the hunt
Australia hunting Cook is a quick way to get England one wicket down throughout the Ashes series. Cook is vulnerable to the ball that moves away from him to the slips very early on in an innings.
As Cook is a back foot player, it's difficult for him to get forward and meet the pitch of the ball with his front foot. This means his bat is often moving around when the ball is pitched up, increasing
the chance of an edge or leg before wicket.
"It was my first year in international cricket as well [when he played in the 2006/07 Ashes]. So to have 50-odd more games under my belt, seen a lot more, I think that experience will help. We've got that
job, we've had that job for a while and we've done it well. It's an area we appreciate we've got a lot of responsibility. Obviously as captain and vice-captain as well, we like to set the tone for the rest of the team," he added.
Betting advice
Cook will dig in and display all of the quality and grit that has led to his extended run in the England team. When there have been questions over Cook as a possible weak link, he has always stepped up
and answered in the right way.
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Essex-c783 man has all of the talent and experience needed to be the top English run scorer in the Ashes. The odds for this will be very long because there are more consistent and safe players in the team
such as Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood.
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