“Would we miss Alastair if he was not captain at the Ageas Bowl?”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has questioned whether anyone would actually miss Alastair Cook “if he was not captain”.

Despite being advised to step down as captain by numerous pundits and former players, Cook stood his ground and said that he would continue leading the national team.

However, the clock is definitely ticking for Cook and the ongoing series against India could be his last chance to turn England’s fortunes around before the national selectors look to someone else who has the credentials to handle the job.

“He needs to tell ask himself, ‘(am I) making a difference as a captain to this England side?’ The stats tell you that he’s not,” Hussain told Sky Sports. “Would we miss Alastair if he was not captain at the Ageas Bowl?

“If Michael Clarke was suddenly not captain of Australia I think they would miss him. If Alastair Cook was not captain of England at the Ageas Bowl would we look up and say ‘we’re missing the tactical genius of Alastair Cook?’ We wouldn’t.”

Hussain added that Cook’s problems are much more complex than his lack of runs.

“There’s been a lot of stuff written this week that he just needs a score. That will not change all of England’s woes,” Hussain said. “If he gets an 80 at the Ageas Bowl, will they stop collapsing? No. Will they bowl better to the tail? No. Will they bowl better with the new ball? No. Will they play the short ball better? No.”