Intro:

England captain Alastair Cook pays tribute to Jimmy Anderson as the bowler prepares to make his 100th Test appearance against the West Indies in Antigua on Monday.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Alastair Cook, England captain: (on opening bowler Jimmy Anderson's 100th Test match)

"It's an incredible achievement. I just spoke to 'Aggers' (BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew) out there and for anyone to play 100 Test matches is an incredible achievement, but as an opening bowler, you know, it's just remarkable I think how many miles he's put on his body and the effort he's... put his body on the line for England... to play 100 Test matches and led the attack as well as he has done over the last four or five years has been fantastic. He's probably the most skilful bowler I've played against and played with, and yeah, as a friend of mine as well, to be out there sharing that moment with him, is going to be a special five days."

SOUNDBITE (English) Alastair Cook, England captain: (on the recent sacking of England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Paul Downton)

"You know, obviously it's sad when anyone gets fired. Anyone knows in any walk of life, it's not a nice feeling for anyone and Paul was a good man. So, I feel for him in that way, but as players and the staff here, we've got to concentrate on what is important to us, which is the next three weeks. We said that at the absolute start of the tour, at the airport, I think, 'Mooresie' (England coach Peter Moores) said it and he keeps talking about it, we've just got to concentrate on these three weeks... As you can see there are big decisions going on behind the scenes at the ECB, but that can't affect us and we're not letting it."

SOUNDBITE (English) Alastair Cook, England captain: (on Cook's own contribution to the England side)

"As I've said, you know, you're right. The last couple of years have been disappointing, you know, I try to lead from the front and score hundreds and I haven't done that. You know, in the last series in India, I averaged over 50, which is good, without that magical hundred, which is what happens. You need people at the top of the order to score big runs to set up games. I think we... last summer we scored I think, close to 400... over 400 four out of the seven times in the first innings and I think our lowest was 360, so we started to get first innings runs, which set up games of cricket and that is the responsibility of the top order and I'm part of that."