Alastair Cook: Starting Out - My Story So Far: The early career of England's highest scoring batsman - Softcover

Alastair Cook forced his way into the record books in 2006, becoming one of the few England players to score a hundred on debut. By going on to become the only Englishman to hit seven Test centuries before his twenty-third birthday, Alastair found himself in the company of the greatest players in cricketing history. STARTING OUT is Alastair's personal account of this speedy climb to stardom. Equally gifted at music, he opted for cricket as a schoolboy and the young left-hander broke record after record as he progressed to become the first-choice opener for Essex. Now an integral part of the England team with over forty caps, Alastair is perfectly placed to describe the highs and lows of life within the England cricket camp during one of the most exciting and turbulent periods of their history, both on and off the field. Updated to include the full story of the 2009 Ashes series, STARTING OUT amounts to a fascinating insight into life as one of the rising stars of English cricket.

Alastair Cook was born in Gloucester in 1984. He scored his maiden first-class hundred, against Leicestershire at Chelmsford in 2004. In 2005 he scored a double-century for Essex against the touring Australians, as a result of which he was voted Young Cricketer of the Year by the Cricket Writers' Club. After scoring a century on his England debut he continued to shine on th the international stage, with consecutive centuries against Pakistan in 2006 cementing his place in the side for the Ashes. He was named Young Cricketer of the Year for the second time in 2006. In 2009, Alastair was part of the squad which reclaimed the Ashes.