Published: Dec 18, 2018, 08:45 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 18, 2018, 08:45 AM (IST)
Former England captain Alastair Cook, who called time on his international career in September this year after the fifth Test against India at the Oval, is set receive a knighthood in the new year honours.
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According to a report in The Times quoting Whitehall sources, Cook, who turns 34 on Christmas Day, will be recognised for his contribution to the sport and will become the first England cricketer to be given the award since Ian Botham in 2007.
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Cook has a glorious career scoring 12,472 runs in 161 Tests at an average of 45.35 with 33 hundreds to become England’s leading scorer. He led the Three Lions a record 59 times, which included two Ashes series wins at home. However, the highlight of his career was captaining England in the away Test series against India six years ago, an achievement the side has recorded only twice in 42 years.
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Cook’s knighthood may fructify as Prime Minister Theresa May being a staunch cricket fan. Sir Ian Botham is the only other living cricketing knight.
Here’s a brief look at Cook’s 12-year career
Full Name: Alastair Nathan Cook
Date of Birth: December 25, 1984
Birthplace: Gloucester, England
Major Teams: Essex, England
Test Record
Matches: 161| Runs: 12,472 | Average: 45.35 | 100s: 33 | Highest Score: 294
Major Records
=> In 2006, became the fifth England batsman to register a half-century and a century in a debut Test
=> Cook’s most memorable performance in Test cricket came during the 2010-11 Ashes series when he accumulated 766 runs with three centuries and two fifties. He clocked over 36 hours spent at the crease and was declared as the player of the series.
=> In May 2015, he overtook his idol Graham Gooch’s record as the highest run-getter for England in Tests
=> His 12,254* runs is the sixth-highest in Test history
=> He is the youngest cricketer in Test history to score 6,000, 7,000, 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000 and 12,000 runs in the format
=> He has 32 centuries so far – the most by any Englishman and the 10th most by any cricketer.
=> Cook is in the final leg of an extraordinary Test record. After his opening two Tests, he missed out on a third straight game due to illness. Since that mini-break, he has represented England 158 consecutive Tests – a world record which will conclude with at 159 in the fifth Test at the Oval.
