Piers Morgan Apologises Alastair Cook Over 11-Year 'Weasel' Criticism

Piers Morgan has apologised to former England captain Sir Alastair Cook 11 years after repeatedly calling him a “weasel,” telling Cook on The Overlap/Stick to Cricket podcast that he went “over the top” with his social‑media attacks and even apologised for “the 38 weasel references.” Morgan said his ire stemmed from backing Kevin Pietersen—whom he called the most entertaining post‑war English batsman—and his belief that Pietersen was badly and prematurely sidelined after the 2013–14 Ashes. The original controversy followed the ECB’s decision, led by director of cricket Sir Andrew Strauss and involving discussions with Cook as captain, to effectively end Pietersen’s England career amid cited “trust” issues. The two men met face‑to‑face on the show, appear to have buried the hatchet, and reports say Cook accepted the apology, bringing an end to the long‑running public rift. Morgan acknowledged that he had previously refused to apologise but has now publicly reconciled with Cook over the episode.