As with the coaching staff, there is no denying the contribution that Alastair Cook has made to England as a player. It's not so long ago that he averaged over 100 in a series against Australia, including three centuries made by sticking to the shots he trusted and being calm under pressure. He was the natural successor to Andrew Strauss and led England to their first series win in India since 1985. Like Strauss, Cook deserves credit for his man management skills. He brought Kevin Pietersen back into the fold after the fallout of the South Africa series, without which England would probably not have won that series in India. But like Strauss, Cook is also an inherently conservative and defensive tactician, preferring to wait until things happen rather than make them happen of his own accord. His orthodox field placings and safe tactics were no match for the creativity of Michael Clarke, and the longer the series went on the more inept he looked. The question is, of course, who should replace him? It would be a risky move to give Pietersen another go, given what happened last time, though Michael Vaughan's suggestion of making him vice-captain is a sensible one. Ian Bell's captaincy at Warwickshire has been praised by former opener Mark Butcher, but he is probably a more long-term choice and isn't quite charismatic enough. For my money, this is the time for England to experiment and try out Broad as a test captain. His consistency and commitment in this Ashes series with the ball deserves to be rewarded, and his natural aggression could make all the difference.
Freelance copywriter, film buff, community radio presenter. Former host of The Movie Hour podcast (http://www.lionheartradio.com/ and click 'Interviews'), currently presenting on Phonic FM in Exeter (http://www.phonic.fm/). Other loves include theatre, music and test cricket.
