Nicholas Grant Billson Cook (born 17 June 1956) is an English cricket umpire and former player who appeared in 15 Tests and three ODIs between 1983 and 1989.[1] A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler and a lower order right-handed batsman, he played first-class and List A cricket from 1978 to 1994. He is currently an ECB appointed umpire on the professional circuit. He was born in Leicester and attended Lutterworth Grammar School.
Cook made his international debut against New Zealand. One of three England debutants in the match along with Neil Foster and Chris Smith, Cook was called up because of an injury to Phil Edmonds,[2] which occurred so late that Cook had already started playing in a County Championship match against Essex and had to be replaced by Jonathan Agnew as full substitute.[3] He picked up 32 wickets in his first four Tests, taking four five-fors, including one on debut (after he had been called up at short notice),[4] and a best bowling match return of 11 for 83 against Pakistan at Karachi.[5] As of 2022, these remain the best Test match figures ever taken by a visiting bowler in Pakistan, and he holds the record for the most Test wickets by an English bowler in Pakistan.[6]
However, Cook's next 11 Tests, spread over a period of five years, fetched him 20 wickets at an average of 56.75. He had more success as a bowler against Pakistan and New Zealand than against Australia and the West Indies. He was finally dropped from Test cricket after the 1989 series against Australia in which England surrendered the Ashes. His total of 52 Test wickets were taken at an average of 32.48. He played his last one-day international that autumn in the Nehru Cup. He finished on the winning side of each of his three one-day internationals,[7] although after England won his first two Tests against New Zealand, he never again finished on the winning side in Test matches.[8]
