Moores understands why Cook thought of quitting England captaincy

England coach Peter Moores has said on Monday that he understood why Alastair Cook thought of standing down from the team's captaincy before leading the squad to Test series glory against India.

England completed their 3-1 win in a five-match series in a dominant style with a crushing innings and 244-run victory over India inside three days at The Oval on Sunday.

But prior to that campaign, England had lost 1-0 at home to Sri Lanka in a two-match campaign after a second Test defeat at Headingley in June that followed a 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia.

Moores said that all captains learn as one goes on, but added that what Cook has done really well, he has got the number one quality that anyone needs to get better quickly, which is humility, Sport24 reported.

Moores also said that when Cook has been successful, he still wants to get better and learn.

Despite constant backing from Moores, in his second spell as England coach, and the new management team at the top of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hierarchy, who had nailed their colours to Cook's mast by citing the need to support his captaincy as a reason for sending star batsman Kevin Pietersen into international exile, the Essex opener did ponder his position as skipper after the Headingley loss.

Having resolved to carry on, Cook then faced calls from several former England captains to resign after the team fell 1-0 behind to India after the first two Tests of their series.

Moores, whose first spell as England coach ended following criticism from then captain Pietersen, said Cook's reaction to the Headingley defeat was entirely understandable. He said that for anyone not to go away and soul-search a bit, if one is captain or coach or player, would have been strange.

Moores said that Cook did that, spoke to his wife, they had conversations, he came back and significantly, at the end of that Test, he turned round to former England captain turned Sky commentator Michael Atherton and said that he is in this for the long haul and if people don't think he should be captain then he accepts that but he wants to be England captain.