LONDON (Reuters) - Alastair Cook was "drained" by the demands of being England test captain and felt new blood was needed in the role, England director of cricket Andrew Strauss said on Monday. "He was getting drained by the relentlessness of being England captain," Strauss told the BBC. England lost a test series 4-0 in India at the end of last year, prompting Cook to stand down. Cook, England's leading run-scorer in test cricket, led the side to two Ashes victories but the team under-performed in 2016 during which they lost eight test matches. "You are the only one who knows how much gas you have left in the tank and how much the many demands of being England captain are taking out of you," said Strauss, Cook's former opening partner.

Source: The Star February 06, 2017 23:03 UTC