Captain Cook an option if England charter new waters

London: Personal ambition can be dirty words in team sport. Take Alastair Cook, England's rangy vice-captain and left-handed opening bat. He says he wants to captain England at some stage, but is careful to make clear that it is not his only desire at the moment.

"There has been talk that Andrew Strauss might take the Bangladesh tour off next March," said Cook during a coaching session at Lord's.

"Hypothetically, if it was the case, I'd love to give the captaincy a go but it's not my only goal in cricket. It's not like I won't be able to sleep at night if it doesn't happen."

The Essex opener would appear to be a leader-in-waiting after being appointed vice-captain 10 months ago after the Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores fiasco that resulted in both men being sacked. Before that, vice-captains had not really been appointed since the 1980s, which means the selectors, seeking a line of succession lest another farce descend, obviously feel that Cook is their man.

It is a gratifying vote of confidence yet, apart from an unbroken presence in the Test team, stretching back 48 Tests, what does Cook know about leadership? And why does he think he is suited to it?

Forefront

"I've captained Bedford School, county age-group sides, county seconds and Essex, when Ronnie Irani was indisposed," counters Cook when challenged on his credentials.

"But I like being at the forefront of making decisions; always have done."

Despite widespread speculation, it has not actually been decided if Strauss will take Bangladesh off yet, following, as it does, a month after the much tougher prospect of the tour to South Africa which begins this Sunday.

But surely the fact he has discussed the possibility with Andy Flower, England's team director, suggests leadership is a hazard only to be attempted by the foolhardy or the thick-skinned, neither of which really describes Cook.

"You never know how you'll cope but ideally I'd probably want to have more experience of captaincy, at county level, before I did it. But I've been with England since I was 21, so I haven't had much chance to do that."

He certainly feels the added responsibility might be good for his soul. With coaches multiplying like pond life in modern sport, there is a tendency for players, especially cricketers, to become less self-reliant and far more inward-looking than in the past.

"As yet, the vice-captaincy hasn't added any pressure," said Cook. "It's very easy in cricket to become self-obsessed, especially us batsmen. So being forced to think about other players and issues can be a help. "It also gives me the chance to get involved more in captaincy issues with the two Andys, in that I get asked for my thoughts and input. Hopefully what I pass on is useful and it gives me a bit of insight into what a captain does and how a side is run."

To smooth the way for Strauss' sabbatical, Cook needs to make big runs in South Africa, against arguably the best pace attack in world cricket.

A prolific scorer in the early part of his career (at 22, he was the youngest England cricketer to reach 2,000 Test runs), life has become far tougher for him as bowlers, especially Australia's, have preyed on technical flaws.

"Players have always experienced blips," says Cook.

"It happens a lot in county cricket but as I've more or less gone straight into the England team, I've had to learn about my game at the highest level, under the most scrutiny. If this is my dip, I'll settle for it."