Cook extends Essex stay

23 October 2008

Alastair Cook played a key role in Essex's Friends Provident Trophy success

England batsman Alastair Cook has pledged his future to Essex by signing a two-year extension to his contract.

The left-handed opener, whose current contract was due to expire next year, has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at Chelmsford until the end of the 2011 season.

Though Cook, 23, spent the majority of the summer on England duty, he appeared in three LV County Championship matches and five one-day games.

His most notable contribution was a fine 95 in the Friends Provident Trophy semi-final victory over Yorkshire, and he also made 33 in a low-scoring final that saw Essex beat Kent by five wickets.

“I’m delighted to have signed a deal to continue my relationship with Essex County Cricket Club for the foreseeable future,” said Cook.

“I hope to play for England for as long and as much as I can but it’s important to have the support of everyone at Essex, who are a county moving forward very quickly under (captain) Mark Pettini and (first-team coach) Paul Grayson.

“It’s nice that I’ve been able to secure my future before going away (with England) and hopefully Essex will always be there for me.

“Winning the Friends Provident Trophy at Lord’s was undoubtedly one of my highlights of 2008. Having grown up playing for Essex since the under-12s it was a special moment and hopefully the first of many.”

Cook also cast his mind forward to England’s tour of India, which gets under way next month following the Stanford Super Series in Antigua.

“It’s been great to have a few weeks off but now it’s time to get serious again,” he said.

“With India having just beaten Australia (in the second Test in Mohali), it’s going to be a good opportunity to test ourselves and to see how we are progressing ahead of next year’s Ashes.

“India is a great, albeit tough, place to tour and I’m really looking forward to it.”