CONFIRMATION of Alastair Cook’s appointment as England’s new one-day captain has been greeted with delight at the Essex club where he cut his teeth.

The Essex batsman grew up playing club cricket for Maldon in first the Two Counties Championship and then the East Anglian Premier League.

Cook, 26, still has strong family links to the club. His family home is in the nearby village of Wickham Bishops.

Geoff Newman, who is a former Maldon club captain, said: “We are absolutely delighted for him. We have always felt he was going to be captain of England as he has got that panache.

“He is a very quietly-spoken and thoughtful lad who will make a good captain of his country.

“It is a superb honour for both Alastair and Maldon Cricket Club, and we are all very proud of him.”

Cook was announced as the one-day successor to Andrew Strauss, who remains as Test skipper.

Stuart Broad, meanwhile, succeeds Paul Collingwood as captain of the Twenty20 team.