Alastair Cook Feels Kevin Pieterson Sacking Episode Should Have Been Handled Better

England cricketer Alastair Cook had on Monday announced that the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval would be his final game. Speaking to media for the first time after his retirement announcement, Alastair Cook revealed his biggest regret of his time as a player. He said the handling of Kevin Pietersen's 'sacking' from the England team could have been dealt with better perspective. "Decisions in hindsight are so easy," he said. "Clearly the KP affair was a tough year, there's absolutely no doubt about that. The fallout of that wasn't great for English cricket and wasn't great for me. I was involved in that decision without being the bloke that actually made the final decision", he said.

Cook also felt the whole episode could have been handled differently. "I think it could have been handled differently. I think the moment Andrew Strauss came on board and said that he personally made the decision, for me that was the best thing that could have happened. I do have regret over it because it wasn't great for English cricket."

Cook will leave the game as the country's most decorated player, having maximised his talent to its fullest. "I can look back and say, I became the best I could become, that actually means quite a lot to me," he said. "I have never been the most talented cricketer, I don't pretend I was, but I definitely think I got everything out of my ability. "Everyone was talking as if I'd died. It's nice when you hear so many nice words said about you. The last couple of days I have been back at home but I had a look last night. Hopefully this week can go well, score some runs and then I can go", he signed off.

Topics mentioned in this article

England Cricket Team India Cricket Team Kevin Pietersen Alastair Cook England vs India, 2018