(Cricinfo) Andrew Strauss has warned that England “can’t afford any passengers” as they aim for a successful defence of the Ashes and their first series win on Australian soil for more than 20 years.
Strauss, who addressed a press conference yesterday within an hour and a half of reaching the England team’s Perth hotel, stressed that in order to win in Australia “you need all 11 to be performing and standing up at the right time”.
“It’s that balance, and being able to adapt to different circumstances in the game, that is more crucial than one or two players having a great series,” he added. “You’ve got to be fit, strong, mentally very stable and, ultimately, you’ve got to grind Australia down.
“Our greatest strength is maybe intangible in that we’re a pretty tight unit. We don’t rely on one or two players. All 11 guys have been putting their hands up, certainly in those crucial periods to make sure we get through them and win tight games. That is a great strength to have. But it will be tested over the course of the next three months. We need to remain resolute.”
England arrived in Australia after a successful 18 months, during which they regained the Ashes on home soil, drew in South Africa and most recently beat Pakistan to cap six consecutive series victories, across all formats, at home this summer. But despite England’s recent successes, and Australia’s dip in form, Strauss suggested that his team’s 5-0 thrashing four years ago under Andrew Flintoff’s captaincy had not been forgotten.
“We’ve all learned lessons – certainly the guys who were on the tour here last time – about the style of cricket you need to play if you want to be successful out here,” he said. “We’re in a nice, stable place at the moment. But we’re not arrogant enough to think everything’s going to be hunky-dory for all three months of the trip.”
After weeks of pre-Ashes hype in the build-up to England’s departure, Strauss insisted that his side’s arrival in Australia had sharpened their focus on the task that awaits them. “Now we’ve touched down on Australian soil, everything is that bit more at the forefront of our minds – what lies ahead of us, what massive opportunities there are, and how determined we are to play well here. We want to acclimatise quickly, but also we have to factor in that it’s going to be a long tour, and you don’t want to burn out in the first week.”
Strauss also dismissed the notion that England would underestimate an Australian side that has recently slipped to fifth in the world rankings and has been defeated in its last three Tests. “If there are any question marks that are preoccupying Australia at the moment, that’s good for us,” said Strauss. “But my past experience is that if you say too much about opposition players it can come back and haunt you.
“The Australian side now doesn’t have those very experienced, legendary players it once had. But they’ve got some very good players, and certainly at home they’re going to be a very strong side. For us to expect Australia to be in any way less competitive than they have been would be a bad way of playing things. We’re expecting them to be very strong, very determined and clearly massively motivated to win back the Ashes.”
Adam Gilchrist, who was part of all-conquering Australian teams under Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, believes the series will be a keenly-contested one. “Either team could win it and I think everyone is anticipating another tight series,” he told BBC Radio 5 live. “In 2009 you didn’t know what the match situation was going to be at the end of each day. It will be a hard-fought, closely contested series.”
Gilchrist suggested that home conditions would favour Australia, but that the hosts’ weakness might lie in their unsettled bowling attack.
“Australia play the conditions well and Ricky Ponting plays particularly well in home conditions. There is going to be a lot of weight on his shoulders if they’re to be successful and I suspect he’ll be up for it too. But there is uncertainty about what their best 11 is when everyone is fully fit. The bowling has suffered a great deal of disruption and that makes it difficult. The spin bowling position has always been under question since Shane Warne left.
“The team have taken a blow in confidence with a series of negative results and I think we are realising we don’t like losing and took for granted that we were winning so often.”
