ALASTAIR COOK will bounce back after being stripped of the England one-day captaincy, says Paul Grayson.
The Essex head coach admitted he had not spoken to Cook since the news broke on Friday but he knew the opening batsman cared about the job and wanted to continue.
Eoin Morgan has been named the new skipper for the one-day tour of Australia and the subsequent World Cup.
Grayson said he thought Cook could have thrived Down Under, where he has a good record, but believes the opener has all the attributes to return to form.
"He's been the first to admit that he's not scored the amount of runs and England have not won the amount of games that he would have liked while he has been captain," said Grayson.
"Having said that, they've made a very brave decision and time will tell whether it's the right one.
"I'm sure he'll pull through it like any setback he has had in his career because he's resilient, he's strong mentally and hopefully this will give him time to reflect on his Test career.
"I think everyone who knows Cooky, and cares about him, wants him to really find his best form in Test cricket again and be a real dominant leader for England while continuing to be our best player.
"He's had a few critics over the last couple of years about his captaincy style but he's actually been very good and been very successful as England captain, but I think the most important thing for him is that he rediscovers his best form again.
"He's had a tough year and there's been a bit of a witch-hunt against him from certain people in the media but I'm sure he'll have a brilliant time in the Caribbean when he goes out there in March and April next year for the Test series [against the West Indies]."
While Cook won't be taking part in England's World Cup, Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara will and Grayson believes he is a valuable asset to their set-up.
"Ravi has done very well and he's been very consistent for England. In the summer series they left him out for some reason, which was a ludicrous decision, but he did well for Essex, as he's always done."
