Alastair Cook supports out-of-form Paul Collingwood
The shaky performances of Paul Collingwood have concerned many, both at home and abroad. The English media has come hard on the middle order batsman, criticizing Collingwood on the below par batting display in the Ashes series. The questions of whether he
should be retained in the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test or not is in circulation from many corners. The name of Eoin Morgan is in the highlights regarding an appropriate replacement for Collingwood.
However, Alastair Cook has stepped forward so as to give the middle order batsman his support. He has emphasized on the fact that Paul will stage a comeback in his individual capacity, and will justify his place in the team. He feels that Melbourne and Sydney
will be the places where Collingwood is expected to strike back hard. Although the spirits are hitting an all time low for the whole English team in general and for Collingwood in particular, yet Cook believes that this will itself cause the recovery for his
team.
Collingwood has been having a hard time with the bat since the series began especially in the last two innings at the WACA. He has failed to impress the selectors in terms of showing a consistent performance. The bad form in Brisbane could not hold his team
from a batting collapse, and at Perth, the batsman did not bother the Australian pacers at all. The nervous approach has dented his performance at the Ashes so far.
However, Cook is the one who has suffered through this phase previously. So he understands the dynamics of the bad form that Collingwood is undergoing. “I think we all know that when his back is right against the wall that’s when he plays his best cricket”
explained Cook, defending Collingwood to the maximum. He believes that the defeat at Perth has played a vital role in the awakening process of the team as a whole.
Cook explained the fact that Collingwood has been an asset for the team in the past, and will remain to be one. He reminded the media of the blistering hundred Paul scored against the South Africans at Edgebaston. He also emphasized that the pressure on
Paul was extreme at that moment, but the man delivered for his team. He is expecting the player to revive that form and challenge the Aussies in Sydney and Melbourne.
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