Strauss' clarion call to teammates by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Player:

AJ Strauss

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DateLine: 9th September 2006

 

England skipper Andrew Strauss is upbeat after his team’s eight-wicket win over Pakistan in the fourth ODI on Friday. He has asked his teammates not to drop their guard after a morale-boosting victory. England now have a chance of squaring the series after a match was washed out. The series finale is at Edgbaston on Sunday with the visitors leading 2-1.

 

The fourth ODI win was only England's fifth limited overs success in 25 matches, a poor record heading into next year's World Cup in the Caribbean. Strauss told reporters after the match: "We've worked very hard to get this first win and now it's really important we build on it. We've got to do the things we did well today again at Edgbaston. I certainly don't think anyone will be taking their foot off the accelerator. With the exception of our last few overs, it was excellent. We put them under pressure and were able to take wickets in the middle which is very important for one-day cricket. And then a clinical performance at the end there, keeping up with the rate and not losing early wickets. When you win it all seems quite simple,” he added.

 

Strauss said it was vital for the team's future success that they didn't just rely on their established stars. "Trescothick is a very important one-day player for England but, as we've found with all the injuries we've had over the last 12 months, you can't rely on one or two players. You've got to be able to get performances from all round the team. Hopefully we can do that in India and hopefully this win will give us a bit of momentum."