Fletcher: 'Forget what happened in Pakistan, we can still be the best Test side

Fletcher - England can be No. 1

Cricinfo staff

February 12, 2006



Duncan Fletcher: 'Forget what happened in Pakistan, we can still be the best Test side in the world' © Getty Images



Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, has insisted that England can still become the best team in the world, despite the 2-0 loss to Pakistan earlier in the winter. England head to India today to India for a three-Test series, with the first Test starting at Nagpur on March 1, followed by seven one-dayers.

England will be without Ashley Giles, their senior spinner, and will rely on Shaun Udal and Northamptonshire's Monty Panesar, who has yet to make his debut, along with Ian Blackwell. Michael Vaughan has recovered from his knee injury and Simon Jones, who was sorely missed for the tour of Pakistan, is also fit.

"Forget what happened in Pakistan, we can still be the best Test side in the world," Fletcher told the Sunday Mirror. "We can still be No.1 in the world during my time as coach. I firmly believe that. It will help if we can stay clear of injuries to key players. But if we can do that from now on, then we can achieve that aim.

"First, however, it's very important that we go to India and win the series. I don't care who you're playing, winning is extremely important. [UNLESS OF COURSE ITS AGAINST PAKISTAN!!!! **

"It's also hard - no matter what the situation. That's why it's wrong to suggest that one tour is more important than another. All games have different pressures. That's why we're thinking only about the trip to India. We want to beat them in their own backyard."

Beating any team in their own backyard is an admirable feat; beating India, at home, is considered mission impossible by most touring sides. Australia were the most recent to achieve it, in 2004, and Hansie Cronje's South Africa managed it in 2000. England haven't won an away series against India since David Gower's side in 1984-85. However, Fletcher is confident his current squad have what it takes:

"India is one country we have not won in since I became coach and that's a real target for the team to achieve this time," he said. "What effect it will have regarding our next Ashes campaign is difficult to assess. But from my point of view winning is vital. I don't think motivation was the problem in Pakistan and it certainly won't be in this time.

"We've beaten Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa and Sri Lanka away. So it would be nice to add India to that list."

Jones, now fully recovered, recently spent some at Dennis Lillee's academy in India which, Fletcher feels, will stand him and England in good stead.

"It was handy for Simon to go out early to India because he's gathered some useful information about various things," he said. "I've had a chat with him. He's quite happy that the ball did swing out there and he already has an idea what to do with the ball when we play.

"Simon is a major component in our bowling attack because he has that added variation of reverse swing. He's good for those sub-continental wickets because he skids the ball through at a quick pace."

"I've often said that it's a huge advantage to have a second change bowler who can hit 90mph. He will be a major player in India, just as he was during the Ashes series."

Giles failed to recover from his hip injury in time for England's tour, leaving England's spin attack bereft of experience. Udal, who turns 37 in March, has just three Tests to his name and made his debut in Pakistan last year. While it will be an invaluable learning curve for both Blackwell and Panesar, Fletcher is understandably anxious that the pressure on their young shoulders will become burdensome, in what is one of the hardest tours in the international schedule.

"It is asking a lot to send them in against India and players who play spin-bowling very well," he told BBC Radio. "Ashley Giles is going to be a huge loss. We need a left-arm spinner and those two are the next best in the country."

© Cricinfo

Poor England they think the loss to Pak was a blip and when we beat them senseless in England they will have a heart attack!!

Eng just need to come out and say 'we were just not up for Pak; we didnt want to be there...and we were punished for that poor attitude'...and not insult us by thinking we were a mere 'blip'.

England have the quality and depth in their team to become number 1 side. In fact with the decline of Aussies as McGrath and Warne fade away and retire, England will gain the number one spot, provided their pace bowlers can remain fit.

Hey was that a pig that i just saw flying past, or did i just hear (in my ear of course) Waqar say "excellent" shot or maybe an Indian bowler has been officially declared a fast bowler.

Ill let you decide

...well Eng may be a fine side, but there petulant dismissal of a team called Pak, that just never seemed to exist this winter has 'irked' me a little...

I haven't followed statements by their team management too closely, so can't say. They lost fair and square - so there is no reason to dismiss Pakistan. What did annoy me a bit was the bit by Fletcher where he almost blamed being confined in hotels for their performance. I don't think Vaughan made himself look that silly though (through any such lame excuses)

Whatever make him happy - I suppose ? But if English cricketers have any doubts, we will fix them come this summer

And come up with excuses of why they lost - their was a shortage of beer, too many scantily clad woman at the games, too many family distractions, our bought match refrees didn't give decisions in our favour, etc etc etc.....

The first 4 days of multan BLAH BLAH BLAH Whenver you listen to any english man all they say is "first 4 days first 4 days and we would have won the series (unbelievable!!!)" They never put it to rest and say they were beaten by a better aide

first 4 days first 4 days ......SHUUT UP

Vaughan and Fletcher both said after the ashes that their England team were due some hard times, after 2 brilliant years. Fletcher is putting a bad episode in his time with the team behind him and looking forward to a big series, whats wrong with that? Sorry to burst some bubbles here but Pakistan arent the only team in the world

I cant wait for geniuses to respond with "lol but teh england team think they are teh only team in the world so lol at u"

Whippy that is not the matter. We know PAkistan is not the only team, that is why we cannot wait for India to thrash England. Just that before the series, England were making Pakistan to be some pushovers, and now they are like "Forget it, that series did not mean much" It does not mean much when they lose.

Focus on the big picture? I thought the big picture was being number 1, and you cannot forget the thrashing they got from Pakistan. Just how their whole attitude to treat us like we are a small team is annoying, I just cannot wait till we arrive in England.

Yup, that's the best way to approach it. Forget Pakistan and go out with a fresh mind.

You can't wait to arrive in England...and most likely a chunk of your batting lineup will struggle on English wickets? If Pak want to win or draw in England they need to have people like Akhtar and Asif finding the right line and length, if they don't bowl well I can't see them winning. England are developing into a very very difficult side to get on top of when they play at home.

Fletcher isnt disregarding Pakistan per se, he is no idiot. He respects Pakistan, maybe he underestimated them before the test series between our teams, but he knows what they're all about now. He simply considers the upcoming India series more important than any past series, which is completely normal behaivour.

When the India series is done, the Sri Lanka and Pakistan home series will become the most important issues, and whatever the result in India was, it will be swept under the carpet. Fletcher took us this far for a reason - he focuses on the matter at hand all the time, our results under him prove it.

And wheres this thrashing by India come from? I'd like a crystal ball too, but sadly they don't exist. I think England will do better than they're expecting to do in India, maybe not win, but both sides are under pressure to perform, not just England - and pressure does funny things to cricket teams.

Yup look forward to more ass whooping I guess

Too many generalizations. You have to learn to accept the facts. England were outplayed, and it would only make England a better team if they accept it and learn from their mistakes. I have no doubt England would do well in Australia, as their bowling attack is really potent. However, Australia are the champs because they have defeated all the Asian teams on their home grounds.

Our batsman will be fine on English wickets. In any case.....let us worry about that. You just concentrate on limiting the number of times your lot will be castled by Asif, Rana and Shoaib.

"Too many generalizations. You have to learn to accept the facts. England were outplayed, and it would only make England a better team if they accept it and learn from their mistakes."

I know we were outplayed, and the England management and players know it too. Releasing these things in the press helps to motivate and focus the players - meanwhile, the criticisms tend to be private. Think about it.

"You just concentrate on limiting the number of times you lot will be castled by Asif, Rana and Shoaib."

On English wickets, our pace attack will be better than yours so I dont know where the big head is coming from. This year is big for Pak cricket, they will be playing some series away and we'll see how far they really have come.

This time next year you could all be the pessimists of old again, recovering from another series loss (it's the same for us). I think this Pak team can be awesome, but just like some England fans jumped the gun after the ashes, some of your lot seem to be doing the same.

Nobody is jumping the gun Whippy. The only thing that has bothered us at PP is the denial of being outclassed by the Pakistani team and the lame excuses (hotel confinement, home sickness etc). And mostly it has been Fletcher who has done the talking without the walking.

Yeah some of the excuses have been lame. But what I don't like is that, even if Fletcher puts forward a perfectly acceptable article like he does here, he still gets tarred with the same abusive brush because of things he has said in the past.

Why did we REALLY lose? We weren't good enough, simple as that. Whether the England management and players want to admit it in the press, up to them. But if they havent discussed the true facts in private I would be extremely surprised.

I can buy that.

I doubt media will be unforgiving off Eng if they lose to India though...

Honestly, the media here havent really expected much out of the India tour, before or after the Pakistan loss. Even if we lose, as long as we arent totally ripped apart, I don't think the criticism would be too heavy. The times when the press has a right to moan are when for example, we couldn't make 200 in either innings against Australia and got murdered by 230-odd runs last year.

Oh no you don't. You DO NOT get to say that.

On your last trip to Pakistan, you were HAMMERED. Comprehensively. No ifs, ands or buts.

At some point in your cricketing history, you did manage to win in Pakistan. You weren't there. Not a single member of your team was playing then. Thats just history.

In that case, Pakistan have beaten EVERY team in world cricket at home, and beaten or drawn with them away. Doesn't matter when it happened - we get to cherrypick which series counts. So, by that logic, we are the best. Right now.

Thanks, where do we pick our trophy please?

EXACTLY. England were lucky to win the Ashes.

England can give a good game to teams like Aus and SA in their own backyard. They already beat SA away - which hardly any teams manage to do.

England will not do well in sub continent unless they find a spinner. But they can still get to number one once Aussies decline.

England aren't the greatest of teams at the moment, but they are pretty good.

As for their India tour, a lot will depend on the bowling of Jones and Flintoff. Don't see Harmison or Hoggard being too big a factor in those conditions. I think India will win, but the matches would be hard fought I think

Spinners are not a problem for India. They milk and thrash the spinners. If Warne can't bowl well in India i don't think any spinner can. My advice to England would be to play all seamers who will atleast have a chance of getting a wicket.

Whippy boy
When was the last time eng beat pak in england? You have to go back a LONG way mate....

i dont quite understand your point here...under fletcher england have won in pakistan (the 2001karachi fiasco) followed by winning against sri lanka in sri lanka and ofcourse windies in windies and saffies in saffies...So I think fletcher makes a valid point.

Sure the paks thrashed england 2 nil in the recent test series however England have had answome couple of years in test cricket inlxidng beating the world champions (aussies) at home.....they are ranked no.2 and certainly deserve this spot..

I think his point is clear.

That statement of Fletcher's implies that they have just beaten Pakistan, when in fact they got comprehensively beaten themselves.

So what if they beat Pakistan 6 years ago. Both teams were very different then.

What Blistering Barnacle said! But to elaborate, and to avoid sounding like an English basher.

As I said in another thread, England probably deserved to be regarded as no.1 (and probably would have been, had there not been an existing ICC rankings table), due to 2 years of continuous success, and then their victory over Australia.

However, Pakistan have since dumped them firmly from top spot. With a resounding whack. Stunning comeback in the 1st Test, ran out of time to win the 2nd Test (mainly due to bad light), and absolutely spanked them in the 3rd.

Series wins between top teams don't come any more emphatic than that.

Ignoring what just happened, and harkening back to a 6 year old series where England just pinched the series, is a case of revisionism at best.

If England go on to beat India in India, then defeat Pakistan, they will have reclaimed lost ground. They could justify going into the next Ashes saying that they are on a par, or even above, Australia. Fair enough.

However, I don't think they will beat Pakistan. We have their number, as we used to for the past couple of decades. Time will tell

"Whippy boy
When was the last time eng beat pak in england? You have to go back a LONG way mate...."

What does this have to do with anything that I've talked about in this topic? AT ALL? Im not avoiding the issue, I know perfectly well how long ago it was, but stick to the Fletcher discussion and stop trying to gloat - this particular tangent could so easily become one less you can go off on after this summer, I would say England are favourites this time considering their home record.

"That statement of Fletcher's implies that they have just beaten Pakistan, when in fact they got comprehensively beaten themselves.

So what if they beat Pakistan 6 years ago. Both teams were very different then."

But Fletcher was there for that victory, so his point that he was part of the win was fair. It's interesting how Englands win over Pakistan back then is never talked about on here

Thats classified information

Whippy Squash,

You said:

"On English wickets, our pace attack will be better than yours so I dont know where the big head is coming from. "

So stop trying to play innocent. You brought it up yourself. It's a commonly heard thing from English fans - eg., "wait till you come here and play on proper wickets". So the poster you referred to brought up a valid point - when was the last time you beat Pakistan in Eng?

Regarding your other point, "But Fletcher was there for that victory, so his point that he was part of the win was fair. It's interesting how Englands win over Pakistan back then is never talked about on here"

Who cares if he was part of the win back then. That was 2000. This is 2006. The point he's arguing is that England can be no. 1. Then he goes on to talk about all the wins they've had away, as if to back up that statement.

Sorry, a win 6 years ago when you've just been thrashed doesn't count anymore, son, when you're talking about being no. 1 now.

what has that got to do with it? When was the last time England beat Australia before the Ashes last year? History has nothing to do with it mate. So you can stick your history where the sun dont shine.

What is it about then? The present?

If your batsman could not handle our bowling on flat and dead wickets, what do you think will happen to you on English wickets? You will be lucky to get past 25 mate.

The Pakistan England series will be a big one and a good one at that but to say Pakistan will be favorites is stretching it a bit too far. I don't see much wrong with what Fletcher has said, they need to put the Pakistan loss behind them and move forward.

a concept lost on the brainwashed.......

Couldnt agree more.

England will always discredit us for our achievements.
They will never accept defeat gracefully especially by Pakistan.
The perfect example was the 1992 world cup final.
Remember all the crap excuses that were talked by England players and media after that ?