Reports: Alastair Cook may quit Essex over row with Ronnie Irani

Former England captain Alastair Cook retired from international cricket in 2018 but continued plying his trade in domestic cricket. In fact, he has been a vital cog of English County team Essex for a while. As per the latest development, however, Cook’s association with the County side may end soon. The veteran opener may be forced to quit playing for Essex over a dispute with former captain Ronnie Irani.

The row came out in public last month when it was learnt Irani has stepped down as the chairman of Essex cricket committee because of complaints made by the coach and players, including Cook, Simon Harmer, and Dan Lawrence. Apparently, Irani was accused of interfering too much in the team’s affair.

The 49-year-old reportedly alleged that there was a drinking culture inside the dressing room which the players refuted. The group of players also included captain Tom Westley and Cook. The general committee backed the players over the episode and later announced Irani is leaving to focus on his business commitments.

Now, Daily Mail has reported that Irani’s presence in the general committee and the prospect of him standing for the chairman post next year has complicated the matter even further. Moreover, Essex’s disappointing on-field performances coincide with the row. For the unversed, the side failed to qualify for the top division of the County Championship. However, Cook, 36, continues to churn out runs for his side despite the side’s overall performance being below par.

Alastair Cook continues to shine in domestic circuit

Considering Cook’s recent form and fitness, he can be around for few more years. However, he isn’t an international cricketer anymore. This means he needs to be at his prime in order to remain in the side. Hence, it would be interesting to see how the whole episode pans out. For the unversed, Cook is hailed one of the finest Test openers ever and his numbers speak volumes of his prowess.

In 161 Tests, Cook slammed 12472 runs, most for any England batter ever. It has to be noted England is one of the most challenging places for openers and Cook’s majority of his runs came on English tracks. The former Englandskipper brought curtains to his glorious international career in 2018 but continued tormenting bowlers in domestic cricket.