http://www.senore.com/Cricket/IR-Bell-c1597 raring to win even the warm up matches – Cricket News Update
Ian Bell, the prolific middle-order batsman, on Wednesday revealed that his boys are all set to emerge victorious even in the warm up matches prior to the series against Pakistan.
Speaking to the media in Dubai ahead of the opening three-day practice match against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 Combined XI, starting on Saturday, Bell said that in the past warm-up games were not considered very important; however now they are looking forward to demonstrate their
dominance in such matches as well.
"In the past we were all guilty of using the warm up matches to get a score and use as practice,” said the 29-year-old right-handed batsman from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Warwickshire-c862 on Wednesday eve.
"Now our goal is also to win every warm up games and try and get twenty wickets and try and win the game,” he maintained.
Bell, who has played 69 Tests so far and averages 49.28 with the bat, said that an aggressive approach to the warm up matches has helped them a lot over the past couple of years, which saw them crushing Ashes rivals Australia in their backyard and then dethroning
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 from the world number one Test status in August last year.
"It gets everyone in the right frame of mind and game mood. This is very much needed when you are playing teams like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and Pakistan and you cannot slowly get into the series,” said the hard hitting middle order batsman.
"We learned that from Australia and we want to take that to every series. We tried and used that in the summer when we were together for three days, Test match preparations has to be as sharp if not tougher," he stressed.
England is scheduled to play two warm-up matches against two different sides before heading towards the tour opening Test match against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in Dubai on January 17, 2012.
In the first warm-up match, the world number one Test side will take on Combined XI at the Dubai cricket stadium from January 7. The second and the last three-day practice match of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 will be against Pakistan Cricket Board XI at the same Dubai venue
from January 11 to 13.
Overall England is scheduled to play three Tests, four One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals against Pakistan. Initially, Pakistan was to host the series, however due to the terrorism-plagued unsafe environment of the country, the series has
been the shifted to the neutral venues of UAE.
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