Why Geoff Boycott Is Absolutely Correct in His Views on England's Alastair Cook

Geoffrey Boycott has never been one to mince his words.

In his column for the Daily Telegraph on May 4, the Yorkshireman wrote plenty of them about the current England Test captain, Alastair Cook.

The opening line set the tone for what was to come: “Every time Alastair Cook opens his mouth, he sticks his foot in it.”

For a man known for his stoic defensive abilities with the bat during his long and illustrious career, Boycott came out swinging right from the very start. He was in attack mode, and Cook was the one he was targeting.

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So, what had made him go on the offensive?

After losing the third Test to the West Indies to draw the series 1-1, Cook suggested that soon-to-be England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves had fired up the hosts with his comments prior to the tour.

Graves, a Yorkshireman, had branded West Indies “mediocre” and suggested there would be “some enquires” if England did not beat them, per BBC Sport.

In the aftermath of the five-wicket defeat in Bridgetown, Barbados, Cook was asked about Graves’ words. His response, to BBC Sport, was to say: “That’s a Yorkshireman for you—they’re quite happy to talk a good game.”

That was always going to rile one of the county's favourite sons, and Boycott hit back by writing:

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Cook conveniently forgets that two of his best young players, Joe Root and Gary Ballance, are from Yorkshire, and four others in his squad. Did he stop for a minute to think about how they would feel about that remark?

So does it follow that if Graves, before the West Indies tour, had called England “rubbish,” maybe our team would have raised their game? 

Graves is going to be his new boss on May 15, yet it is unbelievable that Cook talks disrespectfully about him. Alastair is so up his own a--e, he thinks he is untouchable as England captain and the only guy who can do the job.

"

Let's be clear: Boycott is not diminishing the talents of Cook the player. He stated that the Essex opener is a “top-class batsman with an excellent record.”

His issue is over Cook's captaincy skills, and it is hard not to come down on the same side as the opinionated commentator.

Here are the simple numbers: Cook’s 31 Tests in charge have seen him compile a win-loss-draw record of 13-9-9. That gives him a winning percentage of 41.9.

To compare that to previous England leaders, Strauss was 23-11-16 in his time at the helm (46 percent), while Michael Vaughan was 26-11-14 (50.9 percent).

But this isn't just about simple statistics.

Cook leads like he bats—he is solid, but unspectacular. He sticks to what he knows, choosing to be cautious over courageous. He can be stubborn, which works well at the crease but less so in his other role.

For example, in a short tour that included three Tests, England picked the same XI on each occasion.

After the selectors had picked a squad containing several new faces, the management team of Cook and coach Peter Moores, who has since lost his job, decided to stick with what they knew.

They ignored the opportunity to assess new players; opener Adam Lyth was overlooked in favour of Jonathan Trott for the trio of matches, for instance, as they seemed more concerned with getting results. The policy backfired—West Indies pegged them back, and Trott has since retired from international cricket.

As Boycott pointed out, there is a “siege mentality” now with Cook. It is as if he is fighting for survival.

Having already lost the captaincy in ODI cricket, he appears desperate to hang on to his Test job. The problem is, his personal desperation isn't doing the national team any favours at all.

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England have some excellent talent emerging; Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, to name just three, have all shown signs of promise in the early stages of their Test careers.

However, players with raw ability, who perform best when allowed to play an attacking brand of cricket, cannot flourish when handcuffed by the fear of losing.

What should worry Cook the most is that even Boycott, not a man known for his outlandish behaviour, unless it comes to his attire, bemoaned his lack of imagination as a captain.

Cook has to show faith in his players, and not just those who he fully trusts. It should be noted that he leaned heavily on the two senior bowlers he trusts during the tour to the Caribbean.

James Anderson sent down 119.2 overs in the series, while Stuart Broad was not too far behind in terms of work rate. He got through 111 overs on wickets that were, in the main, unresponsive.

They are worrying numbers considering the packed schedule England face in the coming months. They welcome New Zealand at home ahead of an Ashes series, then head out to South Africa in the winter.

It could be a tough year for Cook if he does not alter his style of leadership. Even with former opening partner Strauss now installed as director of cricket, he has to know the pressure is on to perform, not just in his role as a batsman, but also as the captain of the team.

To give Boycott the final say: “It’s not personal, just a professional view.”

All statistics used in the article were from ESPN Cricinfo or Howstat.com