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Cook confident coaching shake-up can work

ESPN staff
January 2, 2013
Alastair Cook is heading back to India © PA Photos
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Captain Alastair Cook is confident that England's new coaching structure can enable the team to continue to achieve strong results in all forms of the game.

England's latest trip to India marks a new era for the national team, with Ashley Giles taking on coaching responsibilities for one-day operations - as Andy Flower stays home to concentrate on the Test arena, although he maintains overall responsibility for all formats.

While many in the game doubt how such a system can work effectively, Cook is confident it can produce satisfactory - citing the example of the past changes made to the captaincy, which is now held by Cook for one-day internationals and Tests (the latter following the retirement of Andrew Strauss) but Stuart Broad for Twenty20 contests.

"This is unknown territory. We haven't done it before," Cook said. "It is a bit like the three captains.

"It was new and I thought it worked really well because of the energy the captains brought to their side. I can see this working the same way on the coaching side.

"We are going to have to work very hard on the relationship. I am sure as we get used to it the relationship will improve and I have no worries about it working well."

Cook is hoping to see an improvement in England's results against India in their series of one-day matches, after taking a battering last time around.

The recent Test series triumph has given Cook confidence further impressive results are possible.

"We lost there 5-0 last time so it would be a really good measure of us as a side," he noted. "I think we have a squad capable of doing something very special.

"Every time you start a tour it is a huge challenge. When I sat here two and a half months ago I said winning a Test series in India would be a great achievement.

"To do that was a great effort by our whole squad and our whole team. As sport moves on very quickly and India in their own back yard as a one-day team is another huge challenge for us as a side."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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