Alastair Cook signs two-year contract extension with Essex

The opening batter, who has spent his entire career with Essex, scored 611 runs in last season’s County Championship and a team-leading 455 runs in the Royal London Cup

Alastair Cook has signed a two-year contract extension with Essex which will keep him with the club until the end of the 2023 season.

The former England captain’s previous contract expired at the end of the 2021 season and talk of behind-the-scenes ructions at the club, reported by The Cricketer in September, had placed his future with the club in doubt.

Cook, who made 161 Test appearances for England before retiring in 2018, has been instrumental in Essex winning the 2019 County Championship title, the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy and the 2021 Division Two title.

Last season, the 36-year-old scored 611 runs at 32.15 in the County Championship and was the club’s leading run-scorer in the Royal London Cup, scoring 455 runs, including one century and three half-centuries, at 56.87.

Commenting on extending his stay at Essex, Cook said: "I have really enjoyed my cricket here at Essex since my International retirement. We are lucky to have a fantastic dressing room and great coaching staff, led brilliantly by Anthony McGrath, and I’m looking forward to what is hopefully another successful couple of years."

^{Cook scored 611 runs at 32.15 in the 2021 County Championship}

Head coach, Anthony McGrath praised Cook’s impact as a role model in the group as well as his continued ability in both red and white-ball cricket, commenting: "It’s great news that Cooky has committed his future to the club.

"Alastair is still one of the best batters in the world and he’s so important for us both on and off the field. He has the ability to take the game away from the opponents in both red-ball and white-ball cricket, and that’s something every head coach wants in their team.

"He’s also a great role model the younger lads coming through and has a wealth of knowledge that all the players in our dressing room, including the senior pros, tap into from time to time.”

Chief executive, John Stephenson, added: "Alastair is a vital part of the team and has been imperative to the success that the club has achieved in recent years.

"We want to continue to challenge for the major honours and Alastair shares that hunger and passion. He’s been there and done it all and won near enough everything there is to win, so having that talent and experience in the squad will certainly help us compete in 2022 and beyond."

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