Butcher not bowled over by captain Cook

BY JAMES CUNLIFFE

Former England batsman Mark Butcher has cast doubts over Alastair Cook’s credentials to be a future England cricket captain.

The former Surrey left-hander, who only retired last year, was at the Essex opener’s old stomping ground of Bedford School on Thursday to coach kids as part of the Andrew Flintoff Cricket Academy.

Butcher won 71 caps and once captained the national side to a draw against New Zealand in 1999 in the absence of Nasser Hussain.

He was in Bangladesh last month covering the England series for BBC radio’s Test Match Special and saw Cook make his debut as skipper, standing in for Andrew Strauss and overseeing a tour whitewash.

But with 25-year-old Cook tipped by many, including national selector Geoff Miller, to one day emulate the likes of Michael Vaughan and Ian Botham and become skipper, Butcher believes it was hard to judge his prospects as the series was a hiding to nothing.

“The tour was always going to be tricky because England were expected to win and win well,” said the 37-year-old.

“If that happens, but perhaps not in the style that people expect, then you get a bit of stick because the opposition isn’t terrific.


But Butcher, whose innings of 173 against Australia in a 2001 Test helped England to chase 315 runs to win, is under no doubt that with bat in hand Cook is an outstanding talent.


“If, from the resources put into it from Activate sport, The Andrew Flintoff Academy and Co-Op, you end up with two kids that become professional cricketers then you’ve done your job.”

•  To book a place on an Andrew Flintoff Academy contact Activate Sport on 0800 345 7480 or visit www.co-operative.coop/activatesport
• For more information on The Co-operative Food visit: www.co-operative.coop