Meeting Alastair Cook after his Hall of Fame induction and his message for youngsters

By K.R. Nayar

The ICC Hall of Fame event was held alongside the ICC and Emirates Cricket Board gala dinner at the Hilton on October 19, the day before the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final. One of the inductees into the Hall of Fame was Alastair Cook. It was wonderful to meet him and get a message from him for young aspiring cricketers. 

 

With Alastair Cook after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame 

I have witnessed some of Cook’s remarkable performances during his playing days. Alongside Brian Lara and Kumar Sangakkara, he ranks as one of the three finest left-handers I regard very highly. In the 2015 three-Test series against Pakistan, he amassed 450 runs, including a memorable knock of 263 in Abu Dhabi, scores of 65 and 10 in Dubai, and 49 and 63 in Sharjah. During that series, I had several opportunities to speak to him, and upon his recent Hall of Fame induction, I reminded him of my good fortune to have witnessed many of his great innings.

 

My column in 2018 when he retired from the game 

Cook announced his retirement before the Oval Test against India in 2018. I had then written a column titled “The way Cook dished out his memorable knocks,” while wondering how he could step away after scoring 71 in the first innings, a brilliant 147 in the second, and ending his career with the Player of the Match award.

 

Alastair  Cook responds to my query on his advice to youngsters 

After being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, I had just one question for him: What would he advice young players who aspire to follow his footsteps, and what was the secret to his consistency? His answer was simple: “I threw everything into my career, the best I could be—running, even swimming in the morning, to become the best I could be. And the end result was what it was. Walking off the Oval with my head held high—I’ll never swap anything for it.”

 

Cook’s desire “to be the best he could” made cricket fans appreciate his batting. He never aimed to chase records. When he scored his 30th century in his 136th Test, the cricketing world debated whether he would surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 51 Test centuries. Strangely, instead of admiring the perfection in his technique and batting style, many questioned his ability to break records.

 

Alastair  Cook being inducted into the Hall of Fame 

Cook arrived for the 2012 series against Pakistan shortly after marrying his childhood sweetheart, Alice Hunt. Before the series, there was a warm-up game against a Combined XI, where he scored 76. When he returned to the pavilion, I was among the reporters who had gathered around him. The first question to him was how he could leave his new bride back home and come for the series without even a honeymoon. A smiling Cook replied, “She knew what she was marrying into—the life of a cricketer. Maybe we’ll get to go away (for a honeymoon) in the next 12 months.”

 

I had then concluded my column saying, “That’s Cook, nicknamed ‘Chef,’ who served up countless memorable innings in cricket.”