England captain Alastair Cook confident of full support from new-look team

Cook had questioned his position as captain after the disastrous Ashes

Alastair Cook is confident he has the full support of the new-look England set-up, having questioned his position as captain after the Ashes.

Team director Andy Flower and limited-overs coach Ashley Giles have left their positions since the dismal tour Down Under, which was followed by an early exit from the World Twenty20 under Giles.

Cook's own role came under scrutiny and he admitted he felt the pressure.

"I was asked about (my future) after Sydney and after a long, gruelling winter, I gave it consideration," he said. "I think it would be wrong if I didn't.

"We'd lost a lot of games and we hadn't played to the standard that side was capable of, and the stuff we were doing was not making a difference.

"If you don't question your position as leader then, you never will."

But after talking to team-mates and officials from the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Essex opener is ready to renew his efforts as skipper.

He said: "It was nice that the guys I spoke to, other members of the side, were very supportive and that's good to hear. I spoke to Stuart Broad and others and they said 'no, you must carry on'.

"The ECB, since Paul Downton's come in, they've backed me and we've got to justify that confidence.

"It's a great honour to captain England, when we walk out at the venues and they announce the England (team) led by me it's a great feeling. But you've got to be winning games of cricket."

That starts in a one-off one-day international against Scotland on Friday, before first Sri Lanka and then India tour England this summer.

Cook's preview press conference in Aberdeen was slightly held up when a plastic chair gave way beneath one of the journalists in attendance and the England captain joked: "We're hoping to start with a crash-bang-wallop!"

He added: "It's nice to get back into training and playing after a lot of talk about the England team.

"It's got a nice fresh feel about it, that happens when you've got new faces at the top."

PA