Cook wants Pietersen back in time for the Ashes series next summer
England ODI and Test captain Alastair Cook has announced that he is sick and tired of the ongoing speculation about whether batsman Kevin Pietersen should be included in the squad for the upcoming India tour, and stated that the team don’t need him to win matches.
With the Pietersen saga pretty much over after he personally apologised to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about the incidents that took place this summer, many cricket pundits are saying that the national selectors should include him in the squad since he has a lot of experience playing in India.
Since 1985, England have only won one Test match in India, but Cook stated that those kind of statistics will not have any effect on the team’s morale heading into the series.
The Daily Mirror quoted Cook as saying: “We know the challenge facing us, but I’m not looking to take a side out there saying, ‘It’s such a hard place to win away from home, we’re going to lose, we’re going out there to win the series. We know India have an amazing home record, but we have nothing to fear. If we play as well as we can, I see no reason why we can’t go out there and win.”
Talking about the Pietersen situation, Cook noted that he would like to have the South African-born batsman back in the squad before the start of the Ashes series next summer.
“It’s sad that we have reached this situation, but hopefully time will be a healer and we will be able to move on. Kevin is a proven world-class performer in all forms of the game and, in an ideal world, it is a given that you would want him in your side. But there are issues with Kevin which has yet to be resolved, and for the best possible outcome those will remain private,” Cook said.
Cook also mentioned that this tour would be a great chance for some of the youngsters in the team, especially Joe Root and Nick Compton, who have been given their first England call-up, to make a name for themselves.
“But this is a new era – because Andrew Strauss is no longer captain – and we have to look forward, not back. This trip is a great opportunity for some younger players to make their mark,” Cook added.