Cook resolved after captaincy doubts

Alastair Cook has revealed that he had considered whether to give up the captaincy after the Ashes but said England's victory at Trent Bridge, which saw them regain the urn, helped make up his mind to continue.

Cook took charge of the Test side in 2012 and has had to weather regular criticism in the role. That intensified after England were whitewashed in Australia in 2013-14, a defeat that led to the break up of the side, and Cook came close to quitting last summer only for his wife, Alice, to persuade him not to.

He was removed from the captaincy of the one-day team ahead of the World Cup but, amid several changes to the England management, Cook has emerged from a difficult period with his position as Test leader, in charge of a young side, strengthened.

"I pretty much decided last Sunday," Cook said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday. "I woke up and immediately started thinking about trying to win the Ashes 4-1 and then about what we will have to do to win against Pakistan. It came quickly to me to start planning ahead and that told me that I probably wanted to carry on a bit longer.

"It absolutely has been on my mind. At the start of this summer I didn't know what was going to happen and I wasn't sure if I would continue beyond the Ashes. But while you've still got the opportunity to be England captain and you've still got more to give, which I now feel I have, then you need to carry on and give it your all."

After Ashes defeat in Australia and the sacking of Kevin Pietersen - an episode which Cook said had "dragged English cricket through some bad periods" - England were beaten at home by Sri Lanka but then came from behind to win the Test series with India 3-1. Although draws in the West Indies and at home to New Zealand followed, Cook has been able to savour victory over Australia, achieved with a Test to spare despite the tourists arriving as heavy favourites.

His partnership with new head coach Trevor Bayliss has begun on a positive footing and Cook is unlikely to be short of support from Andrew Strauss, England's director of cricket and his former opening partner. He is now looking ahead to challenges in the UAE against Pakistan and a tour of South Africa, currently ranked the No. 1 side in Tests.

"It's such an honour to lead England and the moment you know you haven't got any more to give is the moment to stop doing it," Cook said. "That usually comes at a tough time when you think, 'I can't force myself to go through this again'. I'd love to go out on a high but I kind of knew pretty quickly after the end of the game at Trent Bridge that I still have that drive to take this team forward.

"I haven't spoken to Andrew Strauss yet and I don't want to look too far ahead, the one-day stuff has taught me that, but as long as they still want me, and as long as Trevor Bayliss doesn't have other ideas, I'll carry on."