Alastair Cook

Opener Cook out with back injury

BBC News (Free subscription) | 11/22/2009

Opener Alastair Cook looks like missing England's third one-day international against South Africa in Cape Town.

Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior guide England to a hard-earned victory

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009

• Injury-hit tourists struggle to a morale-boosting victory • 'I was disappointed not to make three figures' says Trott South Africa did their best to make England feel at home here yesterday. Potchefstroom, cold and almost deserted, might have been Leicester in April. England, though, failed to respond to this show of hospitality. In their last warm-up match before the tour gets more serious,...

Cook applauds South Africa blitz

BBC News (Free subscription) | 11/15/2009

Stand-in England captain Alastair Cook commends South Africa after a stunning stand from Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman squares the Twenty20 series.

Cook to captain as Collingwood ruled out

Cricinfo (Free subscription) | 11/15/2009

Alastair Cook will captain England for the first time in the second Twenty20 against South Africa after Paul Collingwood was ruled out with a back injury

Paul Collingwood forced out of England's team with back injury

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 11/15/2009

• Paul Collingwood will sit out second Twenty20 against South Africa • Alastair Cook to captain England in Centurion Paul Collingwood has been ruled out England's second Twenty20 international against South Africa today with a back injury, leaving Alastair Cook to captain the team in his absence. The Durham player woke up with the problem yesterday after leading his side to victory in the...

Strauss should play Twenty20, says Smith

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009

• Paul Collingwood again takes charge of tourists • South Africa's captain lands first blow of phoney war Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, has landed the first telling blow during England's tour of his country by questioning his opposite number Andrew Strauss's decision not to play himself in the two Twenty20 games this weekend. The tour proper starts here tomorrow night, with the...

Cook illness keeps Strauss on his toes

Cricinfo (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009

England may yet need to call on the services of Andrew Strauss for their opening Twenty20 international against South Africa after Alastair Cook became doubtful with a sore throat

Alastair Cook excited at 'new era'

Cricinfo (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009

England's Test opener and vice-captain says the difficult tour of South Africa is the beginning of a "new era"

• Ashes are history, Cook tells England - The Guardian

Captain Cook?

Danny Pugsley (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009

There was a very interesting piece from David Hopps in The Guardian , who suggested that the annointment of Alastair Cook as 'captain in waiting' was happening seemingly without challenge. It is certainly true that since reports surfaced that Andrew Strauss may sit out the tour of Bangladesh, there have been no other candidates put forward (apart from Jimmy Anderson ) than Cook. Hopps makes a very...

Cook eager to 'give captaincy a go'

Cricinfo (Free subscription) | 10/27/2009

Alastair Cook has said he would "love to give the captaincy a go" if Andrew Strauss was rested from the tour of Bangladesh in March 2010

• Live Sport Reports: Cook ready to step in for Strauss - icWales
• Cook ready to step in for Strauss - Daily Star

South Africa Squads

Cricket Forever (Free subscription) | 10/08/2009

England announced their squads to tour South Africa in November. The ‘headlines’ have been generated by the omission of Steve Harmison. His lack of form and maybe commitment on tour means that this is not really a surprise. Geoff Miller this lunch time made it fairly clear (to me anyway) that Harmison would never be picked again. His words said the opposite of course but he also mentioned...

Pietersen and three new caps picked for South Africa tour

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 10/08/2009

• Steven Davies, Adil Rashid and Luke Wright make Test squad • Steve Harmison left out of both sides due to inconsistency • Click here to see England's full itinerary in South Africa Kevin Pietersen has been included in a Test squad containing three uncapped players for the tour of South Africa. Pietersen, who was also named in the one-day squad, was today named alongside the uncapped...

Essex season review

Third Umpire (Free subscription) | 09/29/2009

Essex have returned to the top flight of County Championship Cricket for the first time since 2003. Promotion to Division One, secured on the final afternoon of the season in unlikely circumstances, has made the 2009 season a successful one, when it would otherwise have been viewed as a failure at Chelmsford. This success has been built on the performances of a handful of individuals. Danish Kaneria’s...

Cook helps Essex beat promotion rivals

BBC News (Free subscription) | 09/18/2009

England opener Alastair Cook top scores with 87 as Essex leave it late to beat promotion rivals Northants at Chelmsford.

Harmison and Panesar lose central contracts

Danny Pugsley (Free subscription) | 09/11/2009

Fast bowler Steve Harmison and spinner Monty Panesar have been dropped from the England and Wales Cricket Board's list of centrally contracted players. All-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who has retired from Tests and is recovering from knee surgery, has an increment contract rather than a full deal. Matt Prior, Graeme Swann and Graham Onions all step up from increment contracts to full, 12-month deals....