Peter Hayter

Cook has earned right to decide destiny.

For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground.

And tell sad stories of the death of kings.

It’s that time again, when the air is heavy with talk of the impending departure of an England captain. On the day Alastair Cook took over from Andrew Strauss amid the hurly-burly of the Kevin Pietersen crisis back in 2012 (if only Shakespeare had been around then), I informed the Essex man he had become the ninth skipper of my time in full-time cricket writing to which he replied, without pausing: “And you’ll see me off as well.”

No pleasure is taken when these things happen, it is just the nature of things.

Many in his shoes have never had the choice, it is to Cook’s great credit that he is one of the few who have earned the right to decide the timing and manner of their going.

Now, whether he likes it or not, thanks to mounting speculation, some from his own lips, England’s longest-serving leader, in terms of Tests, will be getting more than enough in his ear on the issue from well wishers as well as those who have never forgiven him for their warped perception of his part in the sacking of KP.

For what it’s worth, the view from this corner is that Cook would be better off out of it and England would be better off with him out of it, too.

There are many reasons for giving up the best and the worst job in world cricket and some are better than others, but in Cook’s case quitting with dignity and purpose could be one of the best decisions of his entire captaincy for himself and his team.