DeFreitas: Cook should stay on if he wants to

Phillip DeFreitas thinks Alastair Cook is still the right man to captain England if he wants to remain in the role but says the opening batsman should be supported whatever decision he makes.

Cook will meet with Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, after the current Test series in India to discuss his position as skipper.

The 31-year-old said after a heavy defeat in the fourth Test against India, which gave Virat Kohli’s men an unassailable 3-0 lead with one match to play, that his deputy Joe Root is ready to replace him.

Cook also stated he and his former opening partner Strauss will discuss what is the best course of action to take for English cricket in the new year.

And former England all-rounder DeFreitas wants the left-hander to be given time to make his choice.

He told Omnisport: “Alastair Cook is one of our greatest ever batsmen and he’s done an exceptional job as captain of England. I think at the start of the series he said that at the end of the India tour, win or lose he will assess where to go from there.

“I think you’ve got to give him that space to have the chat with Andrew Strauss and make whatever decision he wants to make. I think if he wants to stay on as captain, then he should do.

“I don’t think he’s done anything wrong and he’s been a great opening batsman. People should give him the space to make his decision and whatever that is, you’ll find the England team will support it.

“If he decides he wants to continue it means he still has that buzz to do the job as captain. He might turn around and say ‘I want to just carrying on playing as a batter, to just enjoy however many years I have left playing for England’.

“Whatever he decides we should give him full support, he’s earned the respect as a player and a captain and he deserves that support.”

The fifth and final Test between India and England starts in Chennai on Friday.