Times Sport editor John Hutchins offers his personal opinion on the events, topics and personalities in the world of sport.

IT doesn’t seem quite right to talk about a summer game like cricket in a chilly January — but that’s the modern world of 24/7 these days.

After the England cricket team suffered heavy defeats in India and Bangladesh there is speculation about whether Alastair Cook should step down as captain.

Cook has been a superlative batsmen, representing England in 140 Test matches, scoring 30 centuries, 53 half-centuries, with a batting average of 46.45 — a phenomenal record, particularly as for most of his matches he had the added responsibility as opening bat. The Essex left hander is the leading-run scorer of all time for England with more than 11,000 runs — all at a still relatively young age of 32.

Cook has led England in a record 59 Tests as captain with a good degree of success, including two Ashes wins. However, after the defeats on the sub continent is it time for a change?

Leading a cricket team in the field is probably more influential as a position than any other form of captaincy in sport. There’s the all important toss to win, the order of the players into bat, which bowlers to open with, when to rest them; whether to bat on or declare. Its a minefield of decision making not to mention that as an opening batsmen the rest of the team will be looking to Cook to provide a run scoring anchor. Not to mention all the media attention he receives.

I think that if he wants to — he has nothing to prove — Cook should continue as skipper. Joe Root, the vice captain, has been mentioned as his successor. I agree with ex-England captain Michael Vaughan, who said that perhaps it is not yet the right time to burden the free-scoring, cavalier Root with the responsibilities of captaincy.

I hope Cook stays as skipper when they take on South Africa in the summer. Did somebody mention summer? Brrr!