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| November 3, 2005 | Thursday | Ramzan 29, 1426 |
Vaughan not worried by batting failures
RAWALPINDI, Nov 2: England captain Michael Vaughan is not concerned that his team’s batting did not click in the three-day warm-up match which his side won against the PCB Patron’s XI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
“It is not a worry; this was just a practice match and it was not played in a Test match environment, we have the mental resolve for Test cricket,” he said after his side had pulled off an unexpected 52-run win on the third and final day of the game.
England were saved by an unbeaten 124 by Marcus Trescothick in the first innings and were able to manage 256-9 declared while they scored only 112 in the second innings.
“The batsmen didn’t get the practice required but the bowlers got good workouts; I am happy with the bowlers’ performances,” the skipper pointed out.
Vaughan couldn’t do much with the bat himself, scoring nine runs in the first innings and had a duck in the second. But he hoped that things would get better. “Hopefully in Lahore I will spend more time in the nets and be in good form before the Test begins.”
England play the first Test at Multan from Nov 12 but before that have another three-day warm-up match against Pakistan ‘A’ which starts from Sunday at the Bagh-i-Jinnah in Lahore.
“I would want my batsmen to get a few more runs; probably we will play our so called Test XI in Lahore but we haven’t established our XI as yet,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan, under whom England toppled Australia to win the Ashes for the first time in 18 years, praised uncapped pacer Liam Plunkett. “He has a lot of potential but it is too early to say if he will be in the Test squad.”
Plunkett claimed seven wickets in the match.
The touring side will be joined by all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and fast bowler Steve Harmison in Lahore against Pakistan ‘A’.
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