Cricket: Alastair Cook quits as England captain

Alastair Cook has stepped down as England captain after 59 Tests in charge, the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced.

Cook was appointed skipper in August 2012 and was in charge for 59 Tests, leading England to Ashes victories in 2013 and 2015.

The 32-year-old is England’s most-capped Test captain as well as their most prolific batsman, scoring 11,057 runs in 140 Tests.

In a statement he said: “It’s been a huge honour to be England captain and to lead the Test team over the past five years.

[COOK’S 5 MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS AS ENGLAND CAPTAIN]

“Stepping down has been an incredibly hard decision but I know this is the correct decision for me and at the right time for the team.

“I’ve had time to reflect after the India series and this weekend I spoke to Colin Graves, the chairman, to explain and offer my resignation.

“It’s a sad day personally in many ways but I want to thank everyone I’ve captained, all the coaches and support staff and, of course, the England supporters and the Barmy Army who follow us home and away and have given us unwavering support.

“Playing for England really is a privilege and I hope to carry on as a Test player, making a full contribution and helping the next England captain and the team however I can.”

Cook in numbers

59 – Cook led England for 59 Test matches, overhauling the previous record set by Michael Atherton (54) in the opener to the India series in Rajkot.

24 – Tests won by Cook. Only Michael Vaughan has more victories with 26. Cook presided over a record 22 defeats – one more than Atherton – and 13 draws.

8 – number of series won, with four defeats and five draws. However, in England’s last 12 series that record is four wins, four draws and four defeats.

4,844 – The number of runs Cook amassed while at the helm.

46.57 – Cook’s batting average, marginally better than his overall career mark of 46.45 from his 140 Tests.

12 – Number of centuries Cook registered in 111 innings. He also made 24 half-centuries.

263 – Highest score as captain, made against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, an innings which ensured he had made a century in every country he had played in. His career-best score was the 294 he made against India at Edgbaston in 2011.

2-1 – His first series in permanent charge of England ended with a famous series victory in India. Cook’s 562 runs at 80.28 were the cornerstone of the win.

2 – of his four Ashes wins came while he was captain – 3-0 and 3-2 successes on home soil either side of the 5-0 whitewash defeat Down Under in 2013/14. Curiously, though, Cook did not make a century in any of those three series.

35 – The number of innings without a century during Cook’s uncharacteristic drought between May 2013 and March 2015.

* Figures include the 2009/10 series in Bangladesh, where Cook took charge of England for two Tests in Andrew Strauss’ absence.