Is it time for England to move on from Cook and Anderson?

Alastair Cook’s demise has been sad to see in this Ashes series. England’s greatest-ever Test run scorer has been a shadow of his former glory as he has limped to 83 runs in six innings at a paltry average of 13.83.

Before the series began, the question mark around England was whether Cook and captain Joe Root could provide enough cover for rookies Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan, but it has been the opposite with all three of the new bats performing well beyond the former captain.

But Cook’s malaise is not a new one. The one-time run machine has scored just one century and passed 50 only three times in his past 27 innings. For the first time in his career he has gone 10 knocks without a half-century, though six Tests ago he did rack up 243 against the West Indies.

If it was any other batsman, their place in the team would be under serious threat, and so it must be with Cook. It’s not just that he’s not scoring runs, he doesn’t look like scoring runs. He’s tentative, on edge, pushing and prodding, giving the close fieldsman catching practice. With a player so devoid of confidence and form, it’s doubtful he’ll ever regain his former stature. And with the Ashes surrendered, England’s selectors need to do the smart thing and use the final two Tests to try out a new opening combination. There is no point prolonging Cook’s agony.

Similarly, the once great Jimmy Anderson looks tired and pounding it on the hard Aussie pitches is doing his 35-year-old body no good.

Although he continues to give 100 per cent, he is clearly fatigued and seems one spell away from serious injury. With Craig Overton showing his potential it’s time to give Anderson his long service leave, with Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad, along with Overton, to carry the burden for the rest of the tour.

Cook and Anderson are legends of English cricket who are in danger of tarnishing proud records with inglorious exits. The selectors should save them that ignominy.

CHRIS BAILEY SAYS NO, ENGLAND SHOULD STICK WITH EXPERIENCE

England have been combing the British Isles for a suitable opening partner for Alastair Cook long enough to know how painful the process is. Cook, though long past his pomp, should at least be given another summer before the axe falls. Since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012, 11 opening batsmen have failed and only now, in a sturdy Mark Stoneman, have England found someone of merit. Rumours abound that Cook has been thinking long and hard about retiring to his family farm but England need him to milk a little more out of his career first.

The cupboard, to be frank, is bare. Keaton Jennings has scored 89 and 80 while touring with the England Lions Down Under this winter, but they will not be desperate to return to someone who looked so out of his depth against South Africa on home wickets.

Surrey captain Rory Burns, Middlesex’s Nick Gubbins and Cook’s Essex team-mate Nick Browne – ironically all left-handers – are young, promising, but have not yet pulled up the type of trees that would give an attack like Australia’s a root and branch examination. Poor young Haseeb Hameed scratched around for form all of last season.

It means that Cook needs to hang around to give the ECB a chance to nurture a clutch of potential successors. His mammoth knock of 243, albeit against the West Indies, is a recent reminder that all is not lost.

As for Jimmy Anderson – there is no case to answer. You’d be hard pressed to find a 35-year-old in better nick and he should not be blamed for years of negligence.

England have placed little value on sheer pace and, time and time again, shortcomings get exposed in Australia.

Pure fast bowling was never Anderson’s bag. There has arguably been no better technician of swing and the summer just gone – in which he snared 39 wickets from seven Tests – ranks up there with his best.

Don’t blame the older generation. It’s what’s coming up behind them that should alarm England fans the most.