Talks about Cook's captaincy 'pain in the backside': Bayliss

Seemingly frustrated with relentless speculation about Alastair Cook's future as England captain, head coach Trevor Bayliss has described the same as a "pain in the backside".

Cook had recently admitted he did not know how long he would remain in the job, suggesting it could be as little as two months.

However, he played down that speculation of stepping down as skipper post the ongoing Test series against India before the start of the first Test itself.

Now, as England have lost the ongoing five-match series against the current Test No.1 team, both Bayliss and Cook again found themselves answering a barrage of questions on the subject.

 

However, the head coach has voiced his backing for Cook saying: "Well, that's what you try to do."

"But when it's constantly in the media all the time, it's a bit of a pain in the backside - especially when no one else [around the team] believes that or thinks that," Bayliss was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

The 53-year-old also admitted that the open discussion of Cook's position is frustrating for him at times.

"It's a little bit aggravating," he said. "It takes the focus away from all the good things we've done on this tour. I think we've played some good cricket here. We've got to give credit where credit's due - we've played good cricket, and [India] have played even better cricket."

"I suppose anyone who's done the job for that long, there's always going to be questions towards the twilight of his career. But the job he's done with the group, I think, has been fantastic. I think everyone, to a man, in the room would be disappointed if he wasn't captain [for next year]," he added.

India, who are now unbeaten for 17 matches in the longest format of the game, will now play the dead rubber fifth Test match against England beginning December 16 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.