The choice of Alastair Cook to be the “...first cricketer to be knighted for a decade” (as "The Times" put it) is a very establishment one. Whilst fans will be pleased at his honour other players have an equally strong case if this is judged by performances and crowd appeal. Not least Kevin Pietersen who not only averaged 2 runs per innings higher in Test matches, and scored more centuries per match, but also emptied bars when he came out to bat whilst Cook tended to send spectators in the opposite direction.
Merry Christmas and here's to a World Cup winning and Ashes winning New Year!
