Sir Alastair Cook questions England batters' 'ego' after slipping to T20 series 'frustrating' defeat in India
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Published 31/01/2025 at 23:00 GMT
Sir Alastair Cook has questioned the England batters for putting their ego before the series after watching some of the "dumb" shots they played during the defeat to India, which cost them the Twenty20 series. The former England skipper picked out Ben Duckett and Harry Brook for some of their decisions at the crease. "It has just annoyed me because it's so frustrating," he told TNT Sports.
Harry Brook
Image credit: Getty Images
Sir Alastair Cook was left "annoyed" at England's batters following defeat to India in the Twety20 series on Friday.
Brendon McCullum's side fell to defeat in the fourth T20, which gave India a 3-1 series-clinching lead heading into the final tie on Sunday.
There was a controversial moment when India made the most of a concussion replacement, but Cook was adamant that England should have won the match anyway.
"I think we can rant and rave about it, it was the wrong call, but England still should have won the game," a frustrated Cook told TNT Sports.
"We got a bit carried away, the headline isn't about that because, actually, I thought England were dumb on some of those shots.
"It's a hard thing to say because T20 cricket is a balancing act, but sometimes the modern thinking isn't right, I'm sorry.
"Ben Duckett played beautifully today, 62 off 5.5 overs for nought on the power play. One ball to go, just see out the play. Knock out a single and then regroup again, you've done your job.
"Yet, I don't know whether it's ego or whatever, it's like 'I've got to carry on playing my way'. Just take a single and then reassess, knowing how important the next three or four overs [are]."
Cook continued and picked out Harry Brook as another player who did not play the sensible shots at times.
"I have to have a go at Harry Brook as well, not have a go at him. I just don't understand it, I just don't understand," he said.
"He's been the man of the series so far, played beautifully. Last over, if he had taken off for six for that over, they would need just under 10 with five to go and their best bowler done.
"And you've got Harry Brook who was playing everyone else brilliantly, played the sweep shot, hit it for four, I was like, 'that's risky', [but] you've done your job then. Now you get eight off the over, and yet he tries a fiddly shot, as if he was like, 'I've got to play that way for the ego to say that's the way we've been told to play'.
"I get that you have to be free to play T20 cricket, you have to be able to express yourself, but you also have to play the situation in front of you, give yourself the best chance, ultimately to win the game, not to play the best shot.
"Harry Brook, a good innings but not a great innings, a great innings wins the game. It has just annoyed me because it's so frustrating. It's batting smart, it's playing smart, but it's old-fashioned and, apparently, you can't play old-fashioned ways, even though you've got to play in a modern way."
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