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Big week ahead for England: Fletcher
Apr 2, 2007 - 12:42:14 PM
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Fletcher said he is not bothered by calls in the influential Wisden cricket magazine for him to quit after the World Cup.
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By IANS,
[RxPG] St. John's -, April 2 - England coach Duncan Fletcher admitted that his players have a big week ahead as they get ready to face Sri Lanka and world champions Australia in two crucial Super Eight matches in the World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
England, yet to hit top form in the tournament and coming off a lacklustre 48-run win over Ireland last Friday, face Sri Lanka Wednesday before taking on the Aussies Sunday.
'I don't think we played as well as we could -,' Fletcher told reporters Sunday at the team's hotel just outside St John's. '- It was still an important win from our point of view.'
Fletcher said his players were 'a bit complacent' against the minnows, who upset Pakistan in the first round and he is now calling on his team 'not become complacent against the better sides.'
He said the complacency against the fighting Irish stemmed from getting two early wickets.
He said the threat posed by individual Australian and Sri Lankan players will be discussed.
'When we play any side we certainly discuss the players we are going to play against,' he said.
'Fortunately, we have got one or two nets before hand but we will look at certain areas we have got to be aware of and when we get out in the middle, try to adapt to those conditions.
'From our point of view we've just got to make sure we win every game because if you don't you just put huge pressure on yourself. We just want to look at the Sri Lanka match and see it as a very, very important game. There's no use looking past it. We just got to make sure we go out there and beat Sri Lanka.'
Sri Lanka won a one-day series in England last summer but Fletcher doesn't think that result will have a bearing on their upcoming contest.
'Everyone forgot we were missing eight of our players at one stage, eight of our top players. So it is crucial we just look at that and say let's get in there with our topside and play the cricket we are capable of doing.
'As long as the top order can build some partnerships, that's the crucial aspect of it. Once that partnership is set, we can then accelerate,' the England coach said.
He said Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga's threat with his slinging round-arm action could pose a problem to any team.
'We have discussed it before when we played against him. We have just got to make sure we put it into practice but it's very, very difficult...because he's unusual to any other bowler you play. We can talk about - but once you get out there, it's just completely different to the talk. He's improved. He's a very effective bowler from about the 30th over on.'
Fletcher is also cautioning his bowlers that they cannot expect to bowl out teams easily on the slow pitches in the Caribbean.
'These wickets are not wickets where you can just bowl a side out. It's vital we use the first 15 overs. The Kookaburra ball swings and seams around a little bit and then get a bit soft earlier than what we have in England and they have just got to make sure we work hard to get that initial breakthrough.'
The coach said that all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has an ankle injury concern but should be okay.
On captain Michael Vaughan's form, Fletcher said: 'He was batting very well at the beginning of the tournament. He was batting well in the nets and in the middle he was putting in some good performances. He knows he should have gone on with those. It's just over the last few days he has lost a bit a form. I'm sure it will come back pretty soon.'
He said the out-of-favour Andrew Strauss would come into consideration for the matches ahead.
'We will go in there and - the best side we feel can beat Sri Lanka,' he added.
Fletcher said he is not bothered by calls in the influential Wisden cricket magazine for him to quit after the World Cup.
'I just think it's a magazine. It's a huge tournament for us. It's an important part of the calendar and we get on with the World Cup. That's where my focus is on.'
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