yup his 5th test form is temporary alright
2018 - prior to his retirement announcement
9 tests
16 innings
298 runs
18.63 average
2017/2018 ashes in Australia, did nothing in the "live" tests
will be 34 in a couple of months
So last year he averages 47 with 2 hundreds, and this year 28.66 and its time to retire? That's still better than Stoneman or Jennings have managed this year. What has Jennings averaged? 19! The question isn't whether Cook is still the best in the world. The question should be - is he still good enough to meaningfully contribute to England and hold his place. And the answer is yes.
This isn't some situation where the selector nepotism favouring the old pro is keeping new and fresh talent out of the team. If that were the case, I'd appreciate the reasonableness of the retirement more. There is and has been an opener's spot up for grabs since Strauss retired.
I just hope that the England selectors for England's and Cook's sake now try to talk him out of it. Give him SL if they must - and send him to WI, or simply play the Ashes next year. Cook was so down on confidence that he thought he had nothing left. He was wrong. All it was - was a good bowling attack in Australia, NZ and a Dukes ball in England swinging around corners where all openers have struggled. No opener besides Cook has scored
over 50 in England this year in 7 tests. Cook has done it 3 times and has averaged 37 this summer. Yeah maybe - he's not as good as he was, or are the bowling attacks more improved? Either way, for mine, he's not time to retire bad either.
For the numbers below - Cook averaged 41. It is up until Jenning's recall after Stoneman was dropped this year after England v Pakistan in England.