Alastair Cook on verge of breaking Graham Gooch's record

Leeds England captain Alastair Cook may be on the verge of breaking Graham Goochs England Test runs record but he insisted today that his mentor was still in aclass of his ownEnglands Alastair Cook during a training session at Headingley yesterday PicGetty ImagesCook following his majestic 162 in Englands 124run win in the first Test against New Zealand at Lords now needs just 32 more runs in the second Test at Headingley starting on Friday to surpass Goochs mark of 8900 Test runs If he does it in this match it will mean Cook have got there in 114 Tests compared to Goochs 118 although Gooch arguably faced more genuinely alltime great bowlers throughout his careerIt would be a lovely moment I wouldnt put myself anywhere near in his class but it would be a great moment Cook told reporters at Headingley on Thursday regarding the prospect of overtaking Goochs mark However nice it would be if I do score 30 31 32 or whatever it is to pass the great man that wont be enough forthe gameIf Im lucky enough to get that it will be a moment Ill remember but if I am 30 not out its important in a game situation I go on and get a big score added the lefthanded Cook like the righthanded Gooch an Essex and England opening batsman Cook first worked with Gooch as a teenager and was in no doubt of his debt to the former England captainGraham GoochI wouldnt be here or anywhere near here without Goochies help so it will be slightly strange if I do go past his record because without his hard work and dedication to me and my game I wouldnt have scored half the runs I would have done Its a bit of a strange one But there will only ever be one Graham Gooch Hes England greatestever batsmanIt fell to Cook to tell Gooch that he had been sacked as England batting coach in May last year But Cook himself said he had eventually gone back to his original mentor for advice We worked together since I started on the Essex staff at 18 and then made that decision that Ill work on different areas and work with different coaches over a period said the 30yearold Cook whose 27 Test hundreds are an England recordWhile it was really refreshing to work with different guys I think its really important theres one guy you go back to because he knows your game inside outMeanwhile New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum paid tribute to Cook by saying Hes got a strong character Hes now in that position where he is the leader of theEngland team and the guys have responded to him His statistics throughout his career are superbSince Englands victory at Lords Australian Trevor Bayliss has been confirmed as their new permanent coach Bayliss will be in charge in time for the Ashes startingin Cardiff in July with Paul Farbrace who worked under the Australian when they were with Sri Lanka reverting to assistant coach Trevors experience in all forms of the game hes a successful coach everywhere hes gone hes been successful his oneday record is very good as well so it will be interesting to hear his ideas on that side said Cook of the former Kolkata Knight Riders and New South Wales bossIts obviously for England a great coup to have him in terms of his experience certainly of Australian players but just of the world game as well McCullum who played under Bayliss at KKR added Trevor is a good manIm sure hell do a really good job for England Hes obviously Australian but I dont think thatmatters in this day and age You can coach different countries its more about the skillset you bring and the personality you bring rather than the nationality you bring