http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c749’s ODI captain Alastair Cook eying the No. 1 Test ranking
England cricket team's newly appointed, One Day International skipper, Alastair Cook, is eying the No. 1 Test ranking and said that they will start the quest in Cardiff, when they play http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in the three-match Test series, starting on May 26, 2011.
The English players will return to the Swalec Stadium for the curtain raiser against the World Cup finalists, later this month.
Cook, who has replaced Andrew Strauss as the English skipper last week, said that if they want to be the world’s leading Test side, they would have to prove themselves this summer.
“If we want to become the No.1 Test side in the world we have to beat what is put in front of us this summer – and that starts with Sri Lanka in Cardiff,” said Cook while talking to reporters on Tuesday.
“They are full of world-class players with people like Sangakkara and Jayawardene. They are rebuilding in terms of their bowling attack because when you lose the 800 wickets of Muralitharan it is a big hole to fill. But they are always a very competitive side,” he added.
This will be England’s first Test appearance since the Ashes series Down Under, this January – their first Ashes win in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 after 24 years.
Cook was the star performer in the Ashes series which England won by 3-1. He compiled 766 runs from seven innings at an average of 127.66. His tally also included three centuries and two fifties while he was adjudged as the Man of the Series.
“It will be the first time we have been back together as a Test side since Sydney. We are looking forward to that as a group and moving onto the next stage,” said the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Essex-c783 opener.
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board is sweating over the prospect of a thin turnout at Cardiff, as the match will clash with the Football League Championship final between Cardiff and Swansea.
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