Collingwood hails team spirit
England Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood has praised the team spirit of the side after a seventh T20 win in a row.
The T20 world champions completed a 2-0 series win over Pakistan with victory in the final match at Cardiff. Collingwood says the confidence and team spirit of the England camp is greater than he has ever known it.
Collingwood said: "In this form of the game it can be tough to win consecutively. It just takes one performance from the opposition to take it away from you. Having won the World Cup you have added pressure, but the way we've played over the last two games, the boys are enjoying that added pressure."
It's very important for England to build as much momentum as they can do before playing Australia this winter. If England can maintain their team spirit and confidence then it will give them the best possible chance of beating the old enemy.
There are many benefits for any side that has a very strong belief and team spirit. However, it's important not to read too much in to these T20 wins because Pakistan performed way below their best.
Benefits of team spirit
The main benefit of having a great team spirit is that it means there are no egos in the dressing room. The only way to get a great team spirit is to have a squad that wins matches and enjoys playing with each other.
There are also external factors that develop from having a great team spirit and this benefits England in every form of the game. Some players go through bad patches of form and only emerge stronger when they have the support of the management and fellow players.
Team spirit is not a quick thing to build up. It develops over a long period of time and is helped through success. It gives any side the belief and confidence that they can beat any other team in the world in any form of cricket.
Poor Pakistan
A few high profile cricket pundits have said that England cannot read too much in to their recent victories over Pakistan. This is because Pakistan has been very poor and nothing like the side we are used to seeing.
When England face a much better and consistent side, such as Australia, then they will be really tested in all forms of the game. Their team spirit and T20 form will find no harder task than coming through a series of matches in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
Collingwood added: "It's a special achievement, and we obviously did it during the best time, which was during the World Cup. To continue with that form, even though we've lost a couple of players, I'm delighted in the response of the dressing room and the bowlers as a unit are doing fantastically well."
Betting advice
There is no evidence at all to be taken from the T20 matches that suggests http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 will beat England over a five game one-day international series. The victories for England may not be as emphatic as they have been in the Test matches and the T20s but the English are still favourites.
There will be more space for individuals to express themselves in the 50 over format of the game. The one-day games will be longer and this increases the chances of a player scoring a century and taking five wickets. Graeme Swann is the bowler to back at the moment and any of the top four England plays could get a hundred.
Avoid backing Pakistan in any form unless they really show they have bucked up their ideas for the 50-over games.
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