India vs England: Alastair Cook hints he could step down as captain after tour against world’s best side
ALASTAIR COOK has hinted he may step down as England captain after the tour of India.
The opener, 31,will surpass Michael Atherton's record of 54 Tests as skipper tomorrow in the first of a five-match series.
And in an interview with this month's Cricketer magazine, he said: "Deep down I don't know how much longer I am going to carry on. It could be two months, it could be a year."
Keep up to date with ALL the cricket news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary
Cook took over from ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss in 2012 and has won 24 of his Tests.
His accomplishments include winning two Ashes series and a series victory in India in 2012.
The Essex star has amassed 10,688 runs in 135 Tests - making him England's most prolific batsmen of all time.
And he insisted he would try to continue as a specialist even after he passes on the captaincy.
Related Stories
Cook added: "I do look forward to the day when hopefully I can play a Test match as just a batter, there's no doubt about that.
"If that happens I am going to really enjoy standing at first slip and being the bloke who makes suggestions to whoever's in charge and not being the bloke who has to make the final decision.
"It makes me feel very satisfied that I've been able to do it for a long period of time and I've had a really good crack at it.
"There have been some tough moments and amazing moments and you can enjoy that success that little bit more because of what you go through as England captain."
Ex-skipper Michael Vaughan claimed Cook could open the batting for years to come if he wanted to.
Speaking on The Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show, he said: "These next six or seven weeks are not crucial for Cook.
"He is breaking records and he has four or five years left as a batsman, if his mind wants to play that long.
"It depends on the character of the person, to be able to step away from the captaincy but stay in the side.
"He is the perfect sort of character to do that. He wouldn't want to step on the new captain's toes, he'd be a real good sounding board and be able to see when the new captain is under stress. He would be the perfect foil.
"I do get the sense that he will get to the stage, whether it's the end of India or the Ashes in a year's time, where he will say: 'I like the idea of standing at first slip and batting for a few more years.'"