London: Alastair Cook should continue to captain England despite their recent run of hapless performances, batting coach Graham Gooch said on Wednesday.
As the fallout from England`s Ashes debacle rumbles on, with leading batsman Kevin Pietersen the latest casualty of a horrific tour, Cook`s position as captain has come under scrutiny.
But Gooch, who played 118 test matches for England and has been full-time batting coach for the national side since February 2012, said Cook was the man to help rebuild a new-look side.
"I sincerely believe he is (the right person to captain England)," Gooch said in an interview with Sky Sports.
"I don`t see any reason why he will not be a successful leader again in the future. Yes, he needs to make improvements. Yes, he needs to look at things himself, the way he goes about things.
"But that`s the same with any player, and any cricketer, throughout his career. They`re always looking to upgrade and make improvements to themselves and the way they go about their cricket."
England travel to the West Indies for a one-day series at the end of February without Cook, who will take a break following the Ashes defeat, and Gooch is certain the 29-year-old will come back refreshed.
"I`m sure he`ll have a good rest," said Gooch, who coached Cook through the ranks at Essex.
"I`m sure he`ll look forward to coming back here and playing for Essex at the start of the season."
AFP
First Published: Thursday, February 6, 2014, 10:39
