Alastair Cook has one final opportunity, in the seventh and final one-day international against Sri Lanka, to quell the debate over his captaincy before England name their World Cup squad.

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Overdue runs for Cook at the Premadasa Stadium today, and ideally a victory for his team to reduce the margin of series defeat
to 4-3, would surely help coach Peter Moores and fellow selectors to arrive at what appears already to be a favoured conclusion.

National selector James Whitaker gave Cook a glowing reference, as the “unique leader” who had “100 per cent” support as England’s World Cup captain, before the tourists embarked on their ODI tour to Sri Lanka.

But 87 runs in five attempts, three lbw dismissals, the extension of Cook’s miserable form at the top of the order to just one half-century in 21 innings, and a fifth successive series defeat on his watch have followed.

 

 

 

It is in that context that Moores has reiterated his personal backing but felt unable, after defeat in Pallekele confirmed a series setback, to offer any “guarantee” that Cook will be named next Saturday as captain of a 16-man squad to travel to Australia next month for a triseries against the hosts and India.

That party will be a World Cup squad in all but one name – probably that of an extra bowler – and thereafter, no competitive cricket is scheduled before England must trim their final list down to 15 on January 7.

If Cook, already listed as captain in a provisional 30, therefore retains that status on Saturday, all further discussion will surely be redundant. Moores’ mind, in any case, remains made up. 

“For me, I think Alastair’s the right man to move us to the World Cup,” he said. “But … I’ll go into a room with the other selectors, and we’ll talk about it.”

Cook himself has made it clear he wants to lead England in Australia and New Zealand, even after his miserable experience on Saturday – when he dropped Sri Lanka centurion Kumar Sangakkara on 41 and then made just one run off his own bat on the way to a 90-run defeat.

Moores added: “Alastair has said very clearly that he is very keen to carry on, and wants to remain as captain of England.

“He knows nobody has got the guarantee of that.

“I hear people say someone’s unsackable. That would be a ridiculous comment.”