Team needs Cook’s power & runs, not his leadership: Vaughan

TIL Desk Sports/ Alastair Cook’s captaincy has come under severe criticism after England suffered a 0-4 drubbing at the hands of India and former skipper Michael Vaughan feels that the team now needs the opening batsman’s power and runs at the top of the order rather than his leadership.

“When you are captain, and the team is losing, you do not enjoy the game. It drags you down. You wake up in the morning not really wanting to go out and play. Cook somehow has to rediscover that zest and energy to play the game. The team need his power and runs at the top of the order more than his leadership,” Vaughan wrote in his column.

Vaughan also believes that it is high time that Cook sit down and ask himself if he is the right man to lead the team. “Nobody can accuse him of not giving everything. But to pick up a Test team that is on a losing streak to take on South Africa and the West Indies next summer, and then to Australia, he has to be absolutely committed to being captain. He has to sit down and ask himself is he the man to energise this England side for seven Test matches in the summer and win the Ashes down under or has he taken it as far as he can?

“If he feels he is the man to lead them next year then he needs to bring together that core group of players who appear in all formats and ask them to drive the team in a different direction. He can’t have any inkling he wants to go. He can’t suddenly lose the first Test against South Africa in July and think ‘oh no what have I done? Why have I carried on?'” 42-year-old former cricketer said England have been playing their worse cricket under Cook.