http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AJ-Strauss-c964 ready for a tough Pakistan challenge – Cricket News Update
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755.
The English side is set to begin their New Year with a three match Test series at the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033 (UAE), starting from January 17, 2012.
The Englishmen have been performing superbly over the past two years. Under the captaincy of Strauss, they won two consecutive Ashes series, following that up with comprehensive home wins against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 and India.
Courtesy of their recent 4-0 triumph against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, the Poms are currently sitting at the top of the International Cricket Council's Test rankings. However, a confident English side is now up against a resilient Pakistan team which has played fabulous cricket
over the last year – they have won back to back series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747.
Both teams are in good rhythm, and Strauss is looking forward to an exciting contest. Speaking at a press conference at Heathrow Airport ahead of his side’s departure for the UAE, the skipper admitted that his batsmen have previously faced batting woes in
the Sub-Continent.
He has promised an improved performance this time around, and said that his side will prove why it is the No.1 Test team in the world.
“We’re very aware that this tour in particular against Pakistan, who have played a lot of good cricket recently, is going to be a very strong challenge for us,” said Strauss.
The two teams met each other last time in 2010, in a series now infamous for the spot-fixing scandal. After a long court case in London, the three Pakistani players, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Salman-Butt-c2418, were found guilty and sentenced to prison.
The bitter memories of the scandal are still afresh, but Strauss wants both teams to forget the past and move on.
“Pakistan have been playing a lot of good cricket and that’s going to be the challenge for us, to try and overcome them on the field in those conditions. What’s happened before, as far as I’m concerned, is water under the bridge and I hope both sides can
really go and play the game in the right spirit, and produce a very entertaining and exciting Test match series,” added the 34-year-old skipper.
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