Essex chief executive "very encouraged" by Alastair Cook contract talks

The former England captain’s contract expired at the end of the 2021 season

Essex chief executive John Stephenson has said he is "very encouraged" by the club’s contract talks with Sir Alastair Cook.

The former England captain, who has spent his entire career with Essex, signed a three-year deal after retiring from international cricket in 2018. However, that deal expired at the end of the 2021 season.

In September, The Cricketer reported rumours of behind-the-scenes ructions at Essex while on October 11 Ronnie Irani resigned from the club’s board.

However, Stephenson is optimistic the club will reach an agreement with Cook. "I'm really hoping within the next couple of weeks we'll have some good news," he said, speaking to BBC Essex. 

"He's got a lot of stuff going on in his life, other stuff he wants to get on with, but also he loves playing for the club, he loves Essex. I'm going to have a few chats with him, talk about his future, but I'm very encouraged by what he's saying to me.

"We know the cricket he's been playing over the past couple of years has been mainly red-ball but he did brilliantly in our 50-over team this summer. He's absolutely essential to the future of the club, both on and off the field, and the more of Alastair Cook we see the better."

Cook, who turns 37 on Christmas Day, scored 611 runs at an average of 32.15 last season as Essex lifted the Division Two title. He also made 10 appearances in the Royal London One-Day Cup, scoring 455 runs at an average of 56.87 – the third-most in the competition.