thanks to the most over-rated bowling line-up in the world.Cook seems pretty impossible to get out ATM if you ask me.
It's obviously a bit premature to think in terms of all-time 11.In this context, I suppose you could argue that Cook is unlucky insofar as I don't think there's any hotter competition in theoretical terms than for the opening slots in England's All Time XI. Even excluding Grace for the time being, the other three are cricketing immortals - Jack Hobbs has a legitimate claim to be considered the second greatest Test batsman of all, while Hutton and Sutcliffe are both absolutely in the very top echelon.
What does Cook have to do to be considered for an All Time England Test XI? Well, due to who he's up against, he essentially has to be one of the top 15-20 - maybe even one of the top 10 - Test batsmen of all time.
He's streets ahead of where Gooch was at the same age, and, in fact where Gooch was until he was nearing 40. Without the 2nd SA rebel tour in 1989, we wouldn't even be discussing Gooch on this thread.It's obviously a bit premature to think in terms of all-time 11.
But I wonder whether he's making a case for what I consider a "modern era 11" - which is basically from the 70s onward, taking account of things like the transition to covered wickets, the advent of the ODI, the Packer revolution...
The opening slots in that 11 have been pretty much carved in stone as Boycott and Gooch. Is Cook beginning to challenge for a place there?
and johnstonhe has got to hope that he faces strong attacks more often so that he can prove himself against them.
if he does really well in the 10 ashes tests against Pattingson/cummings and siddle co.. then he'll start to be rated very highly.
An opener is arguably always going to do better in a #3 or #4 slot, so comparing him only to other openers seems a bit harsh.In this context, I suppose you could argue that Cook is unlucky insofar as I don't think there's any hotter competition in theoretical terms than for the opening slots in England's All Time XI. Even excluding Grace for the time being, the other three are cricketing immortals - Jack Hobbs has a legitimate claim to be considered the second greatest Test batsman of all, while Hutton and Sutcliffe are both absolutely in the very top echelon.
What does Cook have to do to be considered for an All Time England Test XI? Well, due to who he's up against, he essentially has to be one of the top 15-20 - maybe even one of the top 10 - Test batsmen of all time.
Interesting point that in an England all-time xi, there isn't really a left-hander in the side.For me he's in the conversation fr a place in an AT England XI.
Not in the team but in the conversation.
Certainly the best left handed opener.
He's had his dips in form but that applies to nearly all batsmen (Hammond, for example, had a couple of very quiet series).
Amla and AbdV have similar records too iirc...Just score more and have a sufficiently long career. Definitely will have to average 50+. Notably, he averages 57 away from home and 45 at home - which is not a criticism per se but a peculiarity.
Has for years.Oh, and has said by WPDavid he already pisses over Gooch.
This is true but there is a real sense of emphatic calmness about the way Cook is batting in this series. That sense that he knows exactly what he is going to with every single delivery that he gets. As you say though it is not like Lara (or Clarke recently), where it appears they can just do whatever they want.Long story short, he has to be a better batsman, and he can't just do that by scoring more runs. People remember the level of skillfulness, or batsmanship or whatever you want to call it (it's more than aesthetics) that someone seems to be playing with rather than anything else and they've valid reason to. When Ponting or Lara were at their best they seemed impossible to get out and playing against them seemed almost unfair. It's a level of quality Cook will never have no matter how prolific he becomes.
Assuming those blokes are fit, which is a big call, guys like pattinson and Cummins have never bowled in England. I don't know that they're the test for Cool that they might be in 2-3 years when they've played more test cricket.yup this could be break or break for him. Even in his golden run of form for last two years his record against the only two sides that had good bowling attacks has been mediocre.