One-day flame burns bright for Cook

Alastair Cook is desperate to force his way back into England's one-day reckoning

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Alastair Cook has not given up hope of regaining his place in the England one-day side.

The 24-year-old has played 23 internationals for England but lost his spot in the squad due to injury earlier this year and was overlooked for the current series against West Indies, despite impressive form in the recent Tests.

Cook is not involved in England’s Twenty20 squad and his only two appearances in the shortest form of the game came two summers ago against West Indies when he made just 15 and nine.

However, he hit 80 off 56 balls for Essex in the Twenty20 Cup against Kent at Canterbury yesterday and he hopes that innings, which included six fours and a six, will persuade the selectors to take note of his credentials in the one-day arena.

“I have only played a few games of Twenty20 so it was nice to finally get a score. I even hit a six, which was amazing for me,” Cook said.

“I’d love to get back in that one-day side. I’ve scored a hundred and quite a few fifties, so they know what I can do.

“It’s only one innings and I’ve seen a lot of flashes in the pan, but hopefully I can keep backing it up with a bit of consistency and that’s what will get me noticed.”

With Cook not involved in the World Twenty20 which begins next week, it gives the left-hander a six-week break ahead of the start of the Ashes, which begins on July 8 in Cardiff.

He is planning to use the time to knuckle down and develop his limited-overs game while also preparing to face the likes of Brett Lee and Stuart Clark in the Ashes.

“I’ve got a great chance to work on my one-day game with Essex away from all the big TV cameras and the pressure of an international game,” Cook said at an event to promote the Standard Chartered Great City Race.

“The selectors quite rightly maybe have gone for someone else at the top of the order and it’s down to me to score the volume of runs so that if there is an injury I can come in.

“I need to score the runs so that if there is an injury I’ll be the next in line.”

Cook also believes that more Twenty20 games will help him develop his batting style in the longer formats of the game.

“I enjoy it and want to keep playing it,” he continued. “It’s a great form of the game and it definitely helps you expand your game.

“I’m never going to be a a massive powerplay hitter but it’s up to me to find my methods to manipulate the ball and I think I showed that quite well yesterday.”