Dunno. Give him a chance?
The best players are adaptable, but we can’t shake the feeling that even if Alastair Cook can survive as a one-day batsman, he isn’t an opener.
Batsmen sometimes get branded as being ‘openers’ in England, but one-day opening is different. Successful one-day openers generally come in one of two forms.
Not crappy pinch-hitters, just talented batsmen who are willing to throw the bat. These guys give you a start and hopefully more, but you know they won’t always succeed and you’re fine with that.
Fine batsmen who often bat in the middle order in Tests. These are the guys who you want around for as long as possible. These are your bankers.
Alastair Cook doesn’t fit either of those categories, which isn’t to say he can’t play one-day cricket. It’s just that openers are so, so important in that format. If there’s one batting position you want to get right, it’s that one.
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