Alastair Cook Signs Two-Year Deal With Essex Till 2023
Updated - 01 Dec 2021, 06:36 PM
Former England captain Alastair Cook has extended his stay at Essex after signing a new two-year deal until 2023.
On Wednesday, the Essex County Cricket Club announced that Cook will play for them till the end of the 2023 domestic season.
Have really enjoyed my cricket here at Essex: Alastair Cook
Cook, who is England’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 12,472 runs at an average of 45.35, has helped Essex win the County Championship in 2019 and Bob Willis Trophy in 2020 since his international retirement.
The former England captain said he is looking forward to playing for the club for another two years and lauded the team dressing room at Essex for being fantastic.
“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,” Cook said in a statement.
Alastair Cook is a great role model for the younger lads: Anthony McGrath
Essex head coach Anthony McGrath said Cook is still in his prime form who can change the course of the game from the opposition and called him the role model of young players.
“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,” McGrath said in his statement.
“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 international retirement at the end of the India Test series at home in 2018, he has scored the most runs by a left-handed batter in Test cricket.
