Alastair Cook rubbishes speculation of quitting as England skipper after India series

Rajkot, Nov 8: England captain Alastair Cook on Tuesday (Nov 8) rejected speculation that the upcoming Test series against India could be his last as skipper, saying that a "mountain out of a molehill" has been created owing to his "honest" assessment of his future.

Ind-Eng series schedule; Photos

British media was abuzz with speculation on Cook's future after a magazine interview quoted the skipper as saying that he does not know how long he could carry on.

England's captain since 2012, Cook on Tuesday sought to clarify his position in the pre-match press conference of the opening Test against India starting here on Wednesday (Nov 9).

"I have given quite an honest answer to a question which is hard to answer when someone says how long you see yourself captaining the side. I said I really don't know, it could be two months, could be at the end of this series, six months or the end of the next one or two years. That's the kind of answer I gave (on which) obviously headlines have been made of. It will be a series by series judgment, it always has been," Cook said.

"Someone has made a mountain out of a molehill. It has not been a disruption. I gave an honest interview to an interview question. As always, it has been blown out of proportion. My situation has not changed. No one has talked about it in the dressing room, no one has asked me. It's business as usual," he added.

Cook will surpass Michael Atherton's record of captaining England in 54 Tests when he leads England out in the opening match here on Wednesday.

PTI