Cook: I almost quit as England captain

Ashes-winning England skipper Alastair Cook has revealed he came close to stepping down earlier this year.

Cook said he questioned his position during the first Test against the West Indies in April, shortly after being replaced as captain of the one-day side.

The 30-year-old told the Sunday Times that he was convinced to stay on by Peter Moores, who was England head coach at the time.

"I had a big wobble in Antigua (during the first Test) for no apparent reason," he told the newspaper.

"Maybe I was showing the effects of what had happened with the one-day captaincy. Right or wrong, that hurt and it was tough for me to take. I was thinking, 'Am I the right man to lead this tour?' They hadn't thought that I was for the World Cup. I came back under pressure. That's when your character is exposed."

Cook had to endure a barrage of criticism for around 18 months as England toiled and he struggled for form individually.

But now, after winning the Ashes for the fourth time in his career, he is looking to wrap up the series in style by securing a 4-1 margin with a win at the Oval in next week's final Test.

"It shows that you're still hungry for the fight. The most important thing now is that we try and put in a performance and go 4-1. It would be amazing," he added.

"The crowd will be right behind us at The Oval. Can two or three players step up and win us a fourth game? Thinking like that is really exciting. It's what makes you ready to go again."