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'Cook is a stubborn man but the tough call has to be made'

September 04, 2014

England captain Alastair Cook. Photograph: Philip Brown/Reuters

Coming down heavily on Alastair Cook, former skipper Michael Vaughan has said that the "stubborn" leader must be sacked from the ODI post if he refuses to step down soon. 

Cook may have defied the critics call for his ouster by helping England clinch the five-match Test series 3-1, but the hosts' 0-3 trail in ODIs has once again brought back the question of his leadership, atleast in the limited-overs version. 

"One-day cricket is different. If he is not going to stand down then the tough call has to be made.

"If he is not willing to resign and James Whitaker and Paul Downton, the managing director of England cricket, can't see that a change needs to be made, then I seriously question the vision of the men making decisions in English cricket," Vaughan wrote in his column in The Telegraph

Former england captain Michael Vaughan. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

England failed to put up a fight in the three losses against India and cries for Cook's ouster are growing louder by the day. Vaughan believes that the left-handed opener is ignoring the calls.

"Cook is a stubborn man. He proved it this summer when he defied people calling for him to go and made his point by winning the Test series against India," said Vaughan. 

Recently Cook's former teammate Graeme Swann also took a dig at him by calling for his ODI resignation. Cook though answered back with a 'so-called friend's' jibe at Swann but Vaughan seems to agree with the spinner's observation.

"With six months to go, other teams are looking at this side and hoping that Cook remains as captain, and opens the batting at next year's World Cup, because they know if that happens England will not be a threat," Vaughan added. 

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