Performances take priority over rankings: Graham Gooch – Cricket News Update
England’s newly-promoted batting coach, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Graham-Alan-Gooch-c60530, has insisted that the top spot on the ICC Test team rankings cannot take precedence over performance for the national squad.
South Africa had looked all set to claim the top spot on the Test teams' table, but with rain washing out the final day of the first Test, the match ended in a draw.
Consequently, the Poms, despite their 0-3 drubbing by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625’s annual list, and will receive US$ 175,000 in prize money.
However, Gooch, who has recently been appointed England’s full-time batting coach after having worked in a consultancy role on a part-time basis since November 2009, has revealed that the team is more focused on their upcoming matches, as opposed to retaining
their top spot.
“Does being number one dominate team meetings now? No. What does dominate team meetings is how we are going to beat http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 after that,” Gooch said.
He admitted that reaching that spot had always been the team’s aim, and to see English cricket at such a peak was highly satisfying. However, he added that it was equally important to work hard to retain it, instead of getting complacent.
“Hanging on to it was always going to be the harder bit so I don't think you should always look at that bigger picture,” he insisted. “You can only stay at that level if you keep winning series, keep winning individual matches. That's what we need to focus
on.”
The Poms had a tough time in the UAE as they struggled under unfamiliar conditions, and the baffling spin bowling of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Abdur-Rehman-c41691. Conversely, the team showed signs of improvement after their Test debacles, and went on to clean sweep the
ODI series 4-0 before winning the T20s 2-1.
The English side is set to tackle the Lankans in a 2-match Test series which is due to kick off at the Galle International Stadium on March 26, and they will be playing two warm-up matches prior to that.
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