Cook should resign, says Warne

Former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne advises England’s Test captain to step down or take a break from cricket.

Cook has not improved one bit since the Ashes drubbing, according to Warne [Getty]

Alastair Cook should quit England’s Test captaincy or take a break from the game, according to Australian spin great Shane Warne.

The outspoken Australian has never been a fan of Cook’s captaincy and his constant criticism seemed to have flustered the 29-year-old left-hander, who considers it a personal attack on him and believes “something needs to be done” about it.

“This column is not a personal attack and never has been Alastair. Mate, you need to improve tactically or England need someone else in the job. And I am not the only one saying it,” Warne wrote in a column for the Telegraph newspaper.

“Agree or disagree but it is our opinion and in the case of Cook, lots of people including me think it is time for him to step down as captain,” said the 44-year-old, who quit test cricket in 2007 with 708 wickets and a reputation of having revived the art of leg-spin.

Batting woes

Cook’s own run drought and his team’s failure to register a win in eight successive tests have supplied Warne more ammunition against the English skipper, currently smarting from a 1-0 home series loss against Sri Lanka.

“The most disappointing thing for me is that he has not learned or improved after a horrible 5-0 drumming in Australia, in fact he has got worse,” Warne said.

Under Cook, Warne said, England would always be “conservative” and “confused” in tight games “because he retreats so quickly”.

Taking a break was maybe a good idea for England’s leading test century-maker, Warne said.

Source: Reuters