Thursday, 16 February 2012

Boycott Says Alastair is Complete Cook


Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott says Alastair Cook looks like a "complete player" following his second successive one-day international ton.

Cook is the first England captain to achieve the feat, adding 102 to his career-best 137 from Monday, as the tourists beat Pakistan by 20 runs.

Boycott said: "It was totally different to how he played in the Test matches.

"His feet are moving well, he's getting right forward and right back. He seems to have a wider range of shot."

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast, Boycott added: "He is driving through the covers and punching the ball off the back foot.

"He looks like the complete player so you start to think why didn't he play like that in when you needed 140 to win the Test in Abu Dhabi?"

Victory in Abu Dhabi gave England a 2-0 series lead and the tourists now head to Dubai for the third one-day international where they will look to tie up the four-match series.

The tourists endured a torrid time in preceding Test series, slumping to a 3-0 series defeat.

However, Cook finally got England back to winning ways in the first one-day international at the Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, as his sublime 137 underpinned a comprehensive 130-run victory.

And two days later, Cook was dropped on 28 but anchored the innings again in calm fashion with 10 fours in 102 from 121 balls.

All matches are day-night; ODIs start at 1100 GMT, T20s at 1600

He said: "To score two hundreds in a row doesn't happen very often in any form of cricket.

"Obviously I'm delighted and, with a little bit of luck along the way, thankfully I made it count.

"But you're not quite so bothered about your own batting as captain because you're thinking about the team.

"We've been saying all along you don't become bad players overnight. It's important when you do get a little bit of a run you cash in. I'm delighted I managed to do that.

"With [Shahid] Afridi in, they were in the game because seven-an-over is nothing, but we held our nerve and stayed calm.

"It was a big difference from what we have done. Everyone contributed to a really good team performance, a really good win."