Alastair Cook now odds-on to stand down as England captain
Published:
England look set to find themselves with a new captain in the near future, with the odds tumbling on Alastair Cook stepping down.
A hammering by India in the final Test of the five-Test series has seen the Essex batsman’s odds cut from 6/4 to 8/15 to return the captain’s armband.
And the cricket odds of the 31-year-old leading England through 2017 have similarly drifted, from 1/2 to 11/8.
Speculation was already growing regarding Cook’s future, after India won the series with a match still to play.
And the Fifth Test defeat by an Innings and 75 runs has only heightened the pressure, with Geoffrey Boycott just one figure in the game who has suggested it is time for Cook to stand down.
Cook has won 24 of his 59 Tests in charge of the Three Lions, losing 22 and has said he will ‘go home and do some thinking’ before making a decision on his future.
But while it’s far from certain what Cook will choose to do, the latest odds suggest there is only one man ready to succeed him.
At 1/25, Joe Root looks all but assured to become England’s next skipper, and Cook himself has stated he believes the Yorkshireman is ready for the job.
Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler are in the betting, but at 10/1 apiece, it would be a major surprise should Root be overlooked.
While Cook goes off to make his decision, England will head into ODI action next month with a three-match series against India.
But at 13/8, the tourists are very much the outsiders. India are 1/2 to win the series, with 5/2 saying they hand England more humiliation with a 3-0 whitewash.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
