England’s assistant coach Paul Farbrace insists nobody inside the dressing room wants Alastair Cook to step down as captain.
Cook’s position appears increasingly fragile following the 4-0 series defeat in India that was sealed by a humiliating innings-and-75-run defeat here yesterday.
The opener has admitted he will now consider his future ahead of talks with Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricket, in the second week of January.
But Farbrace says there is no feeling from either the team’s management or players it is now time for Cook to step down. “There’s probably been more speculation outside the team than there has been within it,” said Farbrace. “We’ve been planning for Cooky to be captain going to the Ashes in Australia next winter. Personally, I hope that continues.
“We know he still has the support of the team and he’s a very popular bloke and very popular captain.
“We knew this was going to be a tough series. There’s nothing that suggests he’s lost his way as a captain or doesn’t still have the support of the team. He’s got that decision to make — and as he said before the series started — he and Straussy will have a conversation about the way forward.
“The most important thing is that Cooky will make the decision based on what’s right for England cricket, not what’s right for Alastair Cook.
“Right back to the last time in Australia, he could quite easily have walked away from it. One of the things that’s driven him on is he feels his team are an improving one.
“If he chooses to step down, that would be a shame because we want him to carry on. But there’s no uncertainty within our team. He’s captain and everybody knows where they stand with him.”
England’s next Test is seven months away, when they face South Africa at Lord’s in July.
