Odi captaincy is ‘poisoned chalice’ for Cook: Swann

Insisting he is not conducting a witch-hunt against the England skipper, Graeme Swann (in pic) on Friday said one-day captaincy is a ‘poisoned chalice’ for Alastair Cook. The war of words between Cook and his former team-mate Swann escalated with the ex-England off-spinner saying ‘Real mates are honest with each other. Being the one-day captain is a poisoned chalice for him. He just doesn’t need the job.’ ‘We’re happy to tootle along in a two-litre diesel in a Formula 1 race,’ Swann told The Sun. Swann, who took 104 wickets in 79 one-day internationals for England and retired in December, has claimed that Cook ‘should not bother’ with the one-day game. On the other hand Cook had described Swann as a ‘so-called friend’ after the comments. Swann wants an overhaul of the one-day team before next year’s World Cup. England suffered a 133-run defeat by India in the second one-day international in Cardiff on Wednesday after the first match in Bristol was rained off. Swann said he was not surprised by the reaction of Cook. ‘It’s never nice when you feel your nose has been put out of joint. I’m sure I’ll speak to Cooky over the next couple of days but I won’t back down from what I said,’ Swann said.