'For five minutes I cried my eyes out:' Alastair Cook recalls outburst of emotions after Boxing day Test ton during 2017-18 Ashes

Former England skipper Alastair Cook admitted that his drought-breaking hundred in the fourth Test of the 2017-18 Ashes series was a very emotional moment for him, especially after his wife accused him of being very unemotional until that point.

SportsTak

• Fri • 26 May 2023

Former England skipper Alastair Cook admitted that his drought-breaking hundred in the fourth Test of the 2017-18 Ashes series was a very emotional moment for him, especially after his wife accused him of being very unemotional until that point.

The Essex opener revealed that he put a towel over his head and cried for five minutes after that ton. "I got into the changing room, put a towel over my head and started crying, bawling my eyes out. I get a lot of criticism from my wife for being very unemotional. It's just how I am. On that day, I don't know what triggered me, but for five minutes I cried my eyes out. Whether it was relief, or not having delivered when it mattered, I don't know," he told BBC Sport.

‘Wanted beer after my innings’

After bursting into tears, he reminisced asking for a beer once he stopped crying, "People were tapping me on the back and did not know what to do. When I'd cried all my tears, I was wondering what to do next. I think I wiped my eyes and said 'can I have a beer, please'." I could not have played any better."

In that game, Cook played a brilliant innings of 244 runs in 409 balls to give his team a 164-run lead as the match eventually ended in a draw courtesy of Steve Smith's hundred.

'Winning Ashes was special'

At the same time, Cook opined that winning the prestigious Ashes urn in 2009 but he wanted to contribute in a better manner to the victory, "To be part of winning was very special but there was a burning desire for something else. Jimmy Anderson and I sat in The Oval changing room and both said 'wouldn't it have been nice to have played a bigger part in this'? We both felt like we hadn't made the impact we would have liked. That was the next thing. I was an Ashes winner, but I wanted to make a difference."

"I played seven Ashes series, won four and lost three. I might have lost more Tests than I won, but it's like sets and leg in darts - I won more series than I lost. I'm quite proud of what I've been a part of. Some amazing times, some pretty bad times and pretty average times. I feel lucky to have been able to experience that," he added.