Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has expressed interest in joining the national team’s coaching set-up at some point in his life, stating that he would like to “try and make a difference” to the national structure.
Cook’s remarks followed former England opener Michael Atherton’s suggestion in The Times and on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast that Cook could be considered for an assistant coach position after England’s Ashes series defeat under head coach Brendon McCullum.
“The only thing I will say about it is the article needed to be 800 words and Mike Atherton had done 600 and used the final 200 and threw something in. Look, at some stage in my life, would I like to be involved in the England cricket team? I think I would like to try and make a difference,” Cook stated on TNT Sports during day one’s play in the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Cook retired from international cricket in 2018 with 12,472 runs and a record 33 centuries, establishing himself as one of England’s most successful batters in a career spanning 161 Tests. He captained England in 59 matches, winning 24, losing 22, and drawing 13.
He has an impressive record on Australian soil during his playing career, having scored 1,664 runs in 20 Tests at an average of 48.94, including five centuries, with an unbeaten 244 as his highest score. Cook also played an instrumental role in England’s 2010/11 Ashes triumph in Australia, scoring 766 runs in five matches.