I think they are given out like sweets these days. Was he a great cricketer? Yes. England’s finest? probably. Has he been rewarded handsomely for his efforts, yes!Does that alone warrant a Knighthood? I don’t think so. Has he done a lot of charity work?
Absolutely deserves it. His service to English Cricket is outstanding. Over 100 consecutive games opening the batting and becoming England's record run scorer.
The divers who saved the kids in a cave in Thailand deserve their recognition. Excelling at a game that you only play for 6 months a year, I don’t think so.
perhaps a bit early .. Botham for example got his as much for his charitable work as for his cricketing prowess... oh, and if Boycott were dead, he'd be turning in his grave ((:>) .. he's unlikely to get knighted as he is a convicted woman friend beater (in France), although nowadays it seems infamy as well as fame can gain one a knighthood
bloody 'ell - whats with the Cook bashing ?? captain of the national team of probably the second national sport during one of the most successful eras , and you still dont think he's worth it ? Who would you rather have , Sir John Terry ? There have been plenty of dubious knighthoods in the past, Tony Robinson and Phillip Green spring to mind - yet you wanna doubt one of Englands greatest batsmen ??
For those who are against it, I pose the question who do you think is more deserving?
Below is a list of all the knighthood winners on the 2019 Christmas list. I suspect that most of us don't know who most of them are. I deliberately didn't copy the reasons for their knighthoods, though there is a link at the bottom. For my own part I believe that Bill Beaumont's is for services to BBC Quiz Programmes and that Redwood's is nothing but a sop - an enticement for the disgusting old self-server to go soft on May when things get a bit sticky in parliament in January. Of the others, I really don't know who they are or why they are there. I am pleased to see that there are a lot of professors there. I'd like to think that this signals the value of research and education - though of course, not as much as funding them properly would! I'm disappointed to see that many of them already have other awards: I can't help but think it's just the same few people getting awarded all the time. Anyway my point is that, other than Redwood, I would not remove any of them from the list, because I am not significantly aware of their works or achievements (or lack of). Cook has provided a lot of entertainment for a lot of people and set a new record in the process. What's not to like?
Richard John William ALSTON CBE William Blackledge BEAUMONT CBE DL Ian Craig BLATCHFORD Donald Hood BRYDON CBE Rt Hon Alan CAMPBELL MP Alastair Nathan COOK CBE Professor Jeremy James FARRAR OBE Professor Michael Anthony John FERGUSON CBE FRS Professor Melvyn Francis GREAVES Professor Alexander Norman HALLIDAY FRS Professor David KLENERMAN FRS James Henry LEIGH-PEMBERTON CVO John Henry James LEWIS OBE James MACKEY Professor Jonathan Robert MONTGOMERY Philip Nicholas Outram PULLMAN CBE Rt Hon John Alan REDWOOD MP Roy Alexander STONE CBE Gary Nicholas STREETER MP Dr Patrick John Thompson VALLANCE
To me he definitely deserves it. He's given people, including me, enormous pleasure watching him bat and represent our country. I certainly think those that do charity work deserve theirs but those who represent the country proudly also deserve them.
I’ve nothing against Alistair Cook nor his knighthood but England’s finest ever batsman? He’s not even in the top 10.
Are you on crack? He’s easily our finest batsman, both statistically and in terms of actual success, both as a captain and a player.
Tenacious, resilient, gritty, loyal and patriotic. Cook has all these attributes in abundance and thoroughly deserves his knighthood. However as a batsman, although he scored heavily during his purple patches (who could ever forget the 2010/11 Ashes?) his batting was limited, effective, but limited nonetheless. The title England's finest batsmen can simply not go to him. Hobbs, Hammond, Hutton, Compton, Sutcliffe, May, Cowderey, Boycott, Gooch and Gower were all better batsmen than Cook. As for statistically, well he had at least 100 more Test innings than all but 2 of England's all time greats so he should be top run and century scorer. A rule on stats that has always been used in cricket to separate the good from the great and still works today is that good Test batsmen average in the 40's. Great Test batsmen average over 50. I was a big fan of Cook and stuck by him through some of his poor runs but did feel he went on a year too long. He had a wonderful career, full of highs and lows and will always be remembered as one of England's most effective batsmen but never their finest.
Cook is like Anderson in that they might be England record holders but are slightly below the very best when it comes to averages. And both have been professional Test players in recent years, not playing white ball cricket or much county championship cricket either which has really helped their Test stats To me the knighthood is slightly OTT, but still a great player
The divers who saved the kids in a cave in Thailand deserve their recognition. Excelling at a game that you only play for 6 months a year, I don’t think so.
Southgate got recognition for finishing 4th!!
None of those divers have scored more runs than Cook though to be fair.
I don't think it's overly deserved, but then for me, the same goes for most sportspeople who receive knighthoods or become dames when they're still active or have only recently retired.
Still, arise Sir Cookie. Definitely - DEFINITELY - one of England's greatest ever, no matter how some may try and cut it.
Gower was a beautiful batsman to watch. But no-one in their right mind would select Gower over Cook for a matched you need to win. Or, indeed, to avoid losing.
Gower was a beautiful batsman to watch. But no-one in their right mind would select Gower over Cook for a matched you need to win. Or, indeed, to avoid losing.
Not a scenario that would occur in cricket, what you are saying is akin to having to choose between Gary Neville or David Beckham for an England football team. Gower was indeed a beautiful batsman to watch but he also played many significant innings for England and too many who never actually saw him play believe in the myth that he was never more than 2 balls away from a lazy flick outside the off stump or similar. Test cricket did not begin in 2005.
Gower was a beautiful batsman to watch. But no-one in their right mind would select Gower over Cook for a matched you need to win. Or, indeed, to avoid losing.
Not a scenario that would occur in cricket, what you are saying is akin to having to choose between Gary Neville or David Beckham for an England football team. Gower was indeed a beautiful batsman to watch but he also played many significant innings for England and too many who never actually saw him play believe in the myth that he was never more than 2 balls away from a lazy flick outside the off stump or similar. Test cricket did not begin in 2005.
I don't disagree with you, for perspective though for what service Cook has given to England for a long time he is the best English test batsman of recent times. In my memory of test cricket I've seen Gatting, Atherton, Vaughan, Butcher, Bell, Treschothick, Strauss, Thorpe and Hussein who I all rated as batsmen. And a lot of them I rated for their guts as much as their batting ability. Chuck in doing the captain's role as well and were looking at Vaughan, Strauss and Cook due to their Ashes wins.
Look at runs scored and innings and tests saved Cook is out on his own although Bell for an ashes series was the man for this
I don't begrudge Cook his honour and nor do I think it's productive to compare modern day players to players from a different generation as the game has changed.
Comments
12,472 Test runs and 33 Test centuries - both England records.
Why is a sportsperson any different from a financier or an actor both of whom have been well paid to do the job they enjoy?
Some people have done significant charitable works as well as their main profession but certainly not all.
https://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/62657/england-captain-says-he-will-not-resign#latest
Southgate got recognition for finishing 4th!!
oh, and if Boycott were dead, he'd be turning in his grave ((:>) .. he's unlikely to get knighted as he is a convicted woman friend beater (in France), although nowadays it seems infamy as well as fame can gain one a knighthood
captain of the national team of probably the second national sport during one of the most successful eras , and you still dont think he's worth it ?
Who would you rather have , Sir John Terry ?
There have been plenty of dubious knighthoods in the past, Tony Robinson and Phillip Green spring to mind - yet you wanna doubt one of Englands greatest batsmen ??
Below is a list of all the knighthood winners on the 2019 Christmas list. I suspect that most of us don't know who most of them are. I deliberately didn't copy the reasons for their knighthoods, though there is a link at the bottom. For my own part I believe that Bill Beaumont's is for services to BBC Quiz Programmes and that Redwood's is nothing but a sop - an enticement for the disgusting old self-server to go soft on May when things get a bit sticky in parliament in January. Of the others, I really don't know who they are or why they are there. I am pleased to see that there are a lot of professors there. I'd like to think that this signals the value of research and education - though of course, not as much as funding them properly would! I'm disappointed to see that many of them already have other awards: I can't help but think it's just the same few people getting awarded all the time. Anyway my point is that, other than Redwood, I would not remove any of them from the list, because I am not significantly aware of their works or achievements (or lack of). Cook has provided a lot of entertainment for a lot of people and set a new record in the process. What's not to like?
Richard John William ALSTON CBE
William Blackledge BEAUMONT CBE DL
Ian Craig BLATCHFORD
Donald Hood BRYDON CBE
Rt Hon Alan CAMPBELL MP
Alastair Nathan COOK CBE
Professor Jeremy James FARRAR OBE
Professor Michael Anthony John FERGUSON CBE FRS
Professor Melvyn Francis GREAVES
Professor Alexander Norman HALLIDAY FRS
Professor David KLENERMAN FRS
James Henry LEIGH-PEMBERTON CVO
John Henry James LEWIS OBE
James MACKEY
Professor Jonathan Robert MONTGOMERY
Philip Nicholas Outram PULLMAN CBE
Rt Hon John Alan REDWOOD MP
Roy Alexander STONE CBE
Gary Nicholas STREETER MP
Dr Patrick John Thompson VALLANCE
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/768174/NewYearHonoursList2019.csv/preview
I was a big fan of Cook and stuck by him through some of his poor runs but did feel he went on a year too long. He had a wonderful career, full of highs and lows and will always be remembered as one of England's most effective batsmen but never their finest.
To me the knighthood is slightly OTT, but still a great player
To put boycott above him is bizarre, the bloke who got his runs through sheer bloody mindedness, and the forward defensive.
Cook was rightly hailed as “the next gower” because of his superb technique.
Methinks you have rose tinted nostalgic glasses on. Cook is by far superior, both in style, athleticism and in terms of runs and average.
Still, arise Sir Cookie. Definitely - DEFINITELY - one of England's greatest ever, no matter how some may try and cut it.
Gower was a beautiful batsman to watch. But no-one in their right mind would select Gower over Cook for a matched you need to win. Or, indeed, to avoid losing.
Gower was indeed a beautiful batsman to watch but he also played many significant innings for England and too many who never actually saw him play believe in the myth that he was never more than 2 balls away from a lazy flick outside the off stump or similar.
Test cricket did not begin in 2005.
Look at runs scored and innings and tests saved Cook is out on his own although Bell for an ashes series was the man for this
I don't begrudge Cook his honour and nor do I think it's productive to compare modern day players to players from a different generation as the game has changed.