Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook is a former English cricketer and one of the greatest Test batsmen in history. A native of Gloucester, England, he was a left-handed opener playing for Essex (2003–2018) and England (2006–2018), captaining the national team in Tests (2012–2017) and ODIs (2010–2014). He holds the record for England’s most Test runs (12,472) and centuries (33) across 161 matches, with a highest score of 294 against India in 2011. His 159 Test caps are an England record, and he’s the only Englishman to surpass 10,000 Test runs.

Cook debuted for England in 2006 against India, scoring a century, and became a mainstay for his resolute technique and concentration. He led England to the 2012–13 Ashes series win in India, their first there in 28 years, and secured two home Ashes victories (2013, 2015). His captaincy included 59 Tests, with 24 wins. In ODIs, he scored 5,200 runs across 92 matches. Cook’s final Test in 2018 saw him score a century against India, retiring as England’s fifth-highest Test run-scorer globally.

He commentates for BBC’s “Test Match Special” and farms in Bedfordshire with his wife and three children. In 2024, he released “The Final Innings,” reflecting on his career and mental health challenges.