Stick To Cricket: Alastair Cook rules himself out of England Head Coach role

• Alastair Cook on taking over Head Coach role

• Michael Vaughan dissects unprofessional England

• Panel share thoughts on Harry Brook

• Watch the latest episode out now! 

During the latest episode, the panel discuss how Australia managed to defeat England 4-1, key moments from this series and why England sadly fell short. There's also a focus on some of the positives which we saw from the series, with Jacob Bethell's performance offering genuine hope for the future, before attention turns to the Harry Brook controversy.

Watch the latest episode of Stick To Cricket now!

Alastair Cook on the England Head Coach role 

"Firstly, as a head coach, you have to appoint your own people. It does seem like in this setup there's been quite a lot of - I don't want to say 'yes men' - but Tim Southee, who never coached, becomes bowling coach. Jeetan Patel is one of his best mates.

"Have I thought about it since it's been announced? Of course I have. Your brain always wanders. Do I really want it now? I just don't know.

"I don't think I could be Director; I can't do Rob Key's job. It would have to be to do with the players and getting involved. But at the minute, I'm quite happy. I'm veering towards no."

Michael Vaughan on Rob Key and unprofessional England

"Rob Key brought in Baz McCullum. They've had a good fun ride, but they've won nothing. Let's be brutally honest. They haven't won a five-match series, they haven't beaten the Aussies home and away, and they haven't beaten India home and away. They haven't got anywhere near a World Test Championship final. That's what you're judged on in the Test arena.

"The white ball cricket team in 2025 toured India and got battered, went to the Champions Trophy and didn't win a game... So the white ball team's actually starting to go a little bit backwards."

"When I watched down in the morning and saw both teams warming up, I saw Australia as such a professional operation. You see Alex Carey down there doing the drills, you get the bowlers doing the run-throughs.

"When you look down at England, whether they like it or not, it looks a little bit flimsy.

"You've got the pig game going on with the football that goes on forever. Then you get the odd bowler bowling through to the keeper Jamie Smith, he just gets the pad.

"There's one team that looks ultra-professional and one that doesn't. Whether they like that or not, that's what I see, and I think that's something they can really learn and improve upon."

The Panel on Harry Brook

David Lloyd: "If I was the coach and had to deal with that, I think he'd have to have a suspension.

"You'd lose his captaincy and you might suspend him for a game, which sends your signal out there that you have dealt with it."

Michael Vaughan: "You look at the reason why they kept it in-house; because of the Ashes, they didn't want a big story coming to Australia. They should have dealt with it then. He should have missed that game. It would have been dealt with, you come to Australia, and then you get on with the tour."

Alastair Cook: "If we're talking about holding people to account, as Ben Stokes says he's going to have some really tough conversations, I hope he does talk to Harry Brook, even though he's averaging 55. Because for England to take the next step, someone like him has to lead that charge as well. 

"Harry Brook must look at Stokesy and go, 'Right, you can change.'"

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