Sir Ian Botham has backed Alastair Cook to break Sachin Tendulkar's record as the all-time leading Test runscorer now that he has relinquished the England captaincy.

The 32-year-old announced this morning that he has stepped down as captain following much speculation over his future in the wake of the 4-0 series defeat in India last year.

Cook is currently England's leading Test scorer with 11,057, but Beefy believes that he can now go on to smash Tendulkar's all-time record of 15,921 runs before his playing career ends.

"I totally respect his decision," Botham told Sky Sports News. "I think he's done a great job for England over the years, not just as a captain but as an opening batsman, and I think he deserves the right to enjoy a couple of years now. He's done everything, everything has a shelf-life and it is a decision only he can make. What people have to remember is that it is not only Alastair Cook the captain but the father and the husband as well.

"People can be quite severe. I think he's done his time and now he wants to enjoy the last two or three years of his career. He can go on as an opening batsman for quite a while. He's going to be remembered as England's highest ever run-scorer and he still has time to improve on that.

"He is probably the only man in world cricket at the moment who could go past Sachin Tendulkar. I don't see anyone else getting closer to him at the moment but records are there to be broken.

"Alastair Cook should be remembered for his achievements. When he first came into the England side, he got off a plane after coming three-quarters of the way around the world, walked out in Nagpur and got a hundred on debut. He's had a few highs and a few lows but you do that as a player and as a captain. He's got more good memories than bad memories."

Vice-captain Joe Root is the strong favourite to replace Cook in the role.