The former English captain and opening batsman, Alastair Cook has renewed its contract with the Essex County Cricket Club. The new deal with the 36-year-old has been signed for two years, which means it will last until the end of the 2023 season.
The chef is one of the greatest cricketers to ever play the game for England. In his 161 Test appearances for England, he scored 12,472 runs that too at an average of 45.35. He is the owner of many records that includes England’s highest Test run-scorer (12,472), England’s most-capped Test captain (59) and the most England Test centuries (33).
Upon signing his contract extension, Cook said, “I have really enjoyed my cricket here at Essex since my international retirement. We are lucky to have a fantastic dressing room and great coaching staff, led brilliantly by Anthony McGrath, and I’m looking forward to what hopefully will be another successful couple of years.”
Essex Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, commented,“It’s great news that Cooky has committed his future to the club. Alastair is still one of the best batters in the world and he’s so important for us both on and off the field. He has the ability to take the game away from the opponents in both red-ball and white-ball cricket, and that’s something every head coach wants in their team.”
“He’s also a great role model for the younger lads coming through and has a wealth of knowledge that all the players in our dressing room, including the senior pros, tap into from time to time,” he added.
Cook announced his retirement from international cricket back in 2018 after the Test series against India at home, he has recorded the most runs by a left-handed batter in Test cricket. There was a time where almost every cricket fan thought he will break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most runs in Test cricket.
He has been vital for Essex, he helped the team to secure the 2019 County Championship title, the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy and the 2021 Division Two title. The contract extension will surely play an important role going forward.