About 3600. Cook ticks over at 900-1000 per annum. By far the youngest of the recent greats (Sanga/Punter/Kallis/Dravid) to call it a day.
I wouldn't blame Root, i think this has been a long decision and in a way I don't think Cook has really recovered from some of the flack he got when he was captain. I fear Root is suffering in the same way Cook did, and we'll only appreciate him when he's retired as well. Whilst we've had some outstanding achievements since 2005 it doesn't feel like our captains are the ones to have stood up and sought to salvage the situation in the way Ponting did or Kohli has (albeit unsuccessfully). It feels like our victories/runs have come from a player who later becomes captain almost by default. Not that I'm taking anything away from what was achieved, all I mean is being England captain seems to be a poison chalice.
In a way that’s a relief. Sawyer is inspiring this forum to soar, statistically, & the last thing we need is the deadweight of an innumerate albatross acting as a millstone.
It’s certainly the toughest playing job in English sport. Everyone is scathed by it. My observation is that Root is hopelessly out of his depth. Not his fault & you wouldn’t turn down the invitation. But he’s never captained a team & has a boyish lack of authority. His first pick for his Ashes tour was his mother. Then his father. Then his former flat mate, Ballance who, of course, never played. Nice guy. Soft boy.
Because the captain has such an important role on and off the field he has to be somebody undroppable, i.e. the best player. But the best player isn't necessarily a good captain, and even if he is, the added burden of captaincy may mean that he stops being the best player. It takes somebody special to overcome those odds. Or else you pick somebody like Brearley who wasn't much of a player but was worth his place for his captaincy skills alone
Keep an eye on duckett, just signed for Notts, has much natural ability and when he gets his hand injury sorted 100% and stays off the sauce a bit more will be a great opener for Engalnd in all three forms of the game.. He was given a chance a few years ago and blew it, the move to Notts will make him or break him, a very modern batsmen in the mould of the Aussie openers during their golden generation when they dominated all forms of the game. As for cook, was lucky enough to see him make his debut in India and looked special then, top bloke top pro and can understand why he is going, hope he gives Essex a few more years of service.
So who, if not Root? There’s no obvious candidate in the current Test team, for me. And I’m not sure anyone leaps out from county cricket either.
I once scored 47 with the cat fielding at mid off and my brother Laurence coming in from his long run*. Am I in with a chance?! *He started his run just before Miss Brice's sweet shop,down Mount Pleasant Lane.
We have won the series, so a great chance to give a few new batsmen a chance in a relatively low pressure game, against tourists already thinking about the flight home. But no, we go with the same batsmen. What happens if Jennings now hits a 50 ? Do we then take him on tour and play him throughout the winter ? Must be so demoralising for some of the county players deserving of a chance eg Burns. They could have easily told Bairstow to give his finger a rest (which must surely prey on his mind when batting) and rested Jennings while ostensively "giving a back-up opener a chance". I expect Cookie anticipated being dropped so decided to retire to retain a bit of pride and have the chance to say goodbye a la Flintoff. Weak management.
Good news for Surrey - Somerset will be gutted not to win . https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/45415238
The player with the most successful red ball captaincy experience is Burns from Surrey. Still looks 18 but is now 28. Morgan to do a Rashid & suddenly remember he's a red baller once an olive branch is offered? The benefit to Root's runs would subsidise the potentially low contribution from our Irish colleague. The best captain is still Nasser.
Runners-up again I fear. Still, the title had already gone, IMO. On England captaincy, I think Burns is a reasonable shout. He's a notoriously tough leader. And speaks good German.
Especially, as half the Surrey team should soon be playing for England: Curran, Curran, Pope, Foakes.
I don’t know what’s worse Surrey or Somerset winning! As a Middlesex fan I should say Surrey, but some of the bile spouted by Somerset fans towards Middlesex in recent seasons has unfortunately put me off them a little as well!
Ah yes. Foakes, Woakes and Stokes. Together at last. Maybe Dyche can persuade Sam Vokes to switch codes too?
In the field, he could be leaned against the square leg umpire. Batting more problematic without a runner.
Jinxed that - maybe have to wait for the final innings or take the final match winning catch? Root gone too - start of the collapse...
Carnage. We have zero batsmen who can defend against a seaming/swinging ball. We used to be the only national side who could....what happened ? We only got to 130 odd with minimal disruption as Ali wasn't good enough to touch the ball every time he tried to.