Tuesday 25 November 2014 19:04, UK
England captain Alastair Cook says the unequivocal backing he has received from the selectors has made his job immeasurably easier as he prepares to lead his side into the one-day international series against Sri Lanka.
Cook's position as opening batsman and skipper has been the focus of intense debate amid complaints that England's approach to the one-day game is out of date.
But national selector James Whitaker described Cook as a "unique person and leader" and confirmed he will definitely retain the captaincy for the tour of Sri Lanka and on into the World Cup next year.
Asked if Whitaker's comments were helpful to him, Cook - also the captain of England's Test team - said: "Yes. It stops a lot of speculation. We can go on now and concentrate on trying to improve ourselves as a one-day side.
"There's always pressure to perform when you're playing for England, whether you're captain or player. But in one-day cricket, you've got to try to take as much pressure off yourself as possible if you can - because you need to take those risks at the right time."
Cook has been accused of being too slow to accumulate runs and captaining conservatively at a time when other international sides approach the 50-over game in a similar fashion to Twenty20 cricket.
"I think we've made some really good progress in this week-and-a-half," added Cook. "We've talked a good game so far in meetings and nets, and I could not ask the lads for any more effort.
"But the crux of the matter is how we pull up on Wednesday and how we play."
Watch England face Sri Lanka live from Colombo on Sky Sports 2 from 8.30am on Wednesday
