All change at the top as Cook and Broad gain England captaincy roles

England's new ODI captain

There are many positive credentials that both Broad and Cook have, and it seems fairly clear as to why they have been given their roles. Cook represents everything that is positive about the future of English cricket. In the test arena, he has adopted a style that is not unlike the classy left handed opening batsmen of days gone by, and the influence of Graham Gooch as batting coach at both Essex and England has obviously rubbed off on the 26 year old. However, what Cook has also done is adopted a style that is appropriate for cricket in the 21st century, and it is this which has brought him so much success in his career to date. Last winter’s Ashes tour proved to bring out the very best in Cook, and the ECB and England team management will hope that he takes that success and confidence into his new role as ODI captain.

A younger captain with new ideas to revolutionise the England ODI team. Sounds perfect. Well not exactly. The biggest problem with Cook and ODI cricket is that he hasn’t been a regular part of the England ODI set up for a number of years, and yet he now walks straight into the dressing room as captain. This will make it hard for Cook to stamp his authority on his team, and he will need a lot of help from the likes of Andy Flower to keep a tough mental approach while he readjusts to being back in the ODI fold.

The worst scenario for Cook is that he comes back into the side and doesn’t make runs. That will only serve to add more pressure, and that itself will probably hamper the rest of his game. However, we have to give Cook a chance as captain and hopefully gaining the ODI job now will prepare him to be a future test captain when Andrew Strauss decides to call it a day.

As for Broad, well I am a big fan of the brand of cricket that Stuart Broad’s philosophy is built upon, and I think that it will make him an ideal Twenty20 captain. Broad always plays with his heart on his sleeve, and while some will argue that his mannerisms can get out of hand and he can appear disrespectful to umpires and the opposition, it is this aggression that will serve him well as a Twenty20 captain. The shortest form of the game is played at one million miles an hour, and while Broad may not have the patience to prevail as a captain in the longer forms of the game, I believe he has the right approach to prevail as a very successful captain in the Twenty20 arena.

Only time will tell whether these changes will mark a new era for England in the ODI and Twenty20 forms of the game, but there is no doubt that it will make cricket this summer just that little bit more interesting.

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