Alastair Cook still striving to improve

MANCHESTER: England one-day captain Alastair Cook is determined to avoid taking his fine form for granted as he leads the side into their series-decider against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford here on Saturday (today).
Cook made a career-best 119 in a six-wicket defeat at Lord’s last weekend and followed that up with an unbeaten 95 off just 75 balls as England thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets at Trent Bridge on Wednesday to leave the five-match series all square at 2-2.
Yet he was left out of England’s World Cup squad earlier this year because he supposedly made his runs too slowly for the one-day game.
But since being appointed one-day captain, after Test skipper Andrew Strauss quit the shorter format, Essex opener Cook has led from the front with the bat.
And while his performances against Sri Lanka have stunned some observers, they haven’t shocked the 26-year-old left-hander himself.
“I know I can score that quickly,” Cook told reporters at Old Trafford here on Friday.
“What I’ve been working on is the right stuff. It’s taken a couple of years at Essex working there and playing one-day cricket away from international cricket to make me expand my game.
“It has had a big effect on my Test career and now I’m starting to prove to myself and everyone else that I do have the tempo at the top of the order.”
He added: “It’s not about sticking it to the critics, it’s about scoring runs at the top of the order and helping England win.”
Cook, who scored 766 runs in just seven innings during England’s Ashes triumph in Australia, having come close to being dropped during the preceding home series against Pakistan, was asked how long his good form could continue. “Forever hopefully!,” he replied.

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