Cook will not step down as England captain

Birmingham, Sep 3 (IANS) Amidst criticisms from all quarters, England captain Alastair Cook has said he will not step down from his post but said the management was free to sack him.

Cook said he was hungry for success in ODIs and wants to carry on with the job. His comments came in the wake of England suffering three consecutive heavy defeats against India, the latest being the nine-wicket loss here at Edgbaston Tuesday night. England also lost the ODI series 3-0 with a match yet to go.

"At this precise moment, I'm still hungry to do it. If the management say they don't want me, that's a decision they make," the 29-year-old Cook told BBC Test Match Special shortly after Tuesday's ODI loss.

What frustrates Cook is the fact that questions are always raised about his place in both the Test and the ODI teams.

"The frustrating thing is that every side I seem to play in for England, there's a question about my place. That's a hard place to work from. I went from 0-1 down to 3-1. It changes very quickly in sport. My credibility is not for me to comment on," said the opening batsman.

Cook was appointed the ODI captain in 2011 and led England to the top of the ODI world rankings in 2012. However, since 2012, England have won only one series against another Test-playing nation since 2012 and have lost their last four at home. They also reached the final of the Champions Trophy on home soil in 2013.

His batting average has also dropped since 2012. Overall he averages 40.29 as ODI skipper, it has to 29.83 since 2012.

"I know I have to score more runs. I've done that in the past and I will in the future. I've had three-and-a-half years of one-day captaincy experience. We've done some really good stuff in that time, but we're having a heavy blip at the moment," he said.

Cook said his boys have the ability to turn it around but haven't played to their potential.

"We haven't played very well, nowhere near our potential. That's the most frustrating thing. The players have to look at themselves and turn it around. The guys are hungry to succeed, we're just not delivering at the moment. If anyone thinks their place is safe, then they are wrong," he said.