PAUL Downton concedes Alastair Cook is enduring a "terrible" run of form, but he is still confident England's selectors will confirm him as their World Cup captain next weekend.
Cook has not made a century in his last 44 attempts in one-day international cricket, and has overseen five successive series defeats.
He appears to many therefore to have tenuous claims to lead his country at the global tournament in Australia and New Zealand this winter.
England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Downton will be present, but has no vote, at a selection meeting on Friday before a squad of 16 is announced for the tri-series in Australia.
That number must be trimmed by just one more on January 7, but if Cook is named as captain on Saturday there surely can be no going back.
Downton addressed a number of issues arising from his eventful and, by his own estimation, at times "traumatic" first 12 months in office - notably the ECB's dismissal of Kevin Pietersen in February and then its minimal response to the subsequent publication of the sacked batsman's controversial autobiography.
The most pressing questions, however, relate to Cook's future - especially after he hit a new low in Pallekele on Saturday, dropping a simple catch to reprieve Sri Lanka centurion Kumar Sangakkara and then making just a single en route to a 90-run defeat.
Cook has one last chance, before the series review and selection discussions, to score some runs in the final ODI at the Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday - albeit in a dead rubber, with another series already lost.
Downton said: "He's having a terrible time at the moment. Nobody knows that more than him. Nobody is more frustrated than him.
"Yes, he's in miserable form. But form can change. I'd suggest he's 'due' - wouldn't you?"
Coach Peter Moores, one of four selectors, was unable on Monday to offer Cook a "guarantee" that he will retain the captaincy.
But Downton added: "I will be very surprised if Alastair Cook's not captain....for the World Cup."
He cited protracted deliberations three months ago, before Cook stayed in charge for this tour, and lamented the run of low scores which have dogged him since and brought just 87 runs in five innings.
"In September, the selectors got together and spent nearly a week kicking the tyres and working out 'were we best to stick with Alastair - given we were going to be playing a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with two new balls, where his track record is good?'.
"These decisions aren't taken lightly, and you've got some very good cricket brains involved in them.
"He's been captain for three-and-a-half years. The only time he really had a full-strength side, they got to the final of the Champions Trophy - and should have won it."
Cook is beset by armchair and keyboard critics, some well-qualified after outstanding international careers of their own - and following England's Ashes whitewash, and associated Pietersen wreckage, calls for his resignation as Test captain lasted most of the next season.
"Just as we saw during the summer - when, frankly, AN Other was going to be the next captain for England - we felt strongly that all his experience, all his toughness would come out," said Downton.
"He's come through a traumatic summer, in terms of the pressure on him. But in doing so, that dressing-room is very much his dressing-room - in a way that it could never have been before.
"He's the natural leader of that group of players."
Downton admits he cannot say with utter certainty that Cook will regain the form which has brought him 30 international hundreds.
"He's 29. He's had a year where everybody has questioned his being every day," he added. "The fact is he's a remarkably strong guy....and his track record will say that he will score runs.
"In a specific question - 'Who is our best person to take us to the World Cup?' - (after) the discussion we had in September, it's Alastair Cook.
"It hasn't helped that he hasn't scored any runs yet - because this question keeps coming up.
"(But) who here can tell me that Alastair Cook isn't going to score 70 in the first match (of the World Cup) and get a hundred (later on). I couldn't do that - because he's done [that sort of thing] before."
Downton also delivered a belated ECB reaction to Pietersen's claims of persistent "bullying" in the England dressing-room in the final five years of his international career.
"The reality was that there is no formal complaint of bullying at all on anybody's record during that whole period," he said.
There may be regrets on how specific episodes were handled, but Downton added: "All I'm interested in is what's best for English cricket.
"Yes, we made noisy decisions. But were they the right decisions? As far as I'm concerned, for English cricket, they absolutely were.
"Now, we're starting to emerge from a pretty traumatic time - and it's time for people to get excited again."
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