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| November 23, 2006 | Thursday | Ziqa'ad 1, 1427 |
First Ashes Test begins today: England have not peaked yet, says skipper Flintoff
BRISBANE, Nov 22: Skipper Andrew Flintoff says it is dangerous to discard England's Ashes victory last year as a one-off win by a team that has already peaked, going into the return series here Thursday.The match-winning all-rounder believes the England team is still improving and is well up to holding on to the urn they seized from Ricky Ponting's Aussies in last year's momentous series.
Flintoff starred with bat and ball as England upset the Australians 2-1 in last year's epic series to end a 16-year Ashes domination by the Aussies.
“We played well in 2005. If you look at the side now, some of the lads who played in that series hadn't played a great deal of Test cricket,” Flintoff said at his captain's press conference Wednesday.
“Since then we have had more experience and we've had a few people come in for a few various reasons and performed.
“It will be dangerous to say the team has peaked. I think as a side we're gaining more experience and we're getting better.
“Even on the tour so far I think there has been a definite improvement and difference in the way the side is playing so I wouldn't say we've peaked by any stretch.”While the Australians have strung together 11 wins from their 12 Tests since the last Ashes, England, excluding The Oval forfeit success against Pakistan, have just four victories out of 13. But Flintoff is not disheartened by the bald statistics.
“I think the side over the past three years has put in some great performances against good sides,” he said.
“We don't see the Ashes 2005 as a one-off. We beat everybody else we played against, except Pakistan in Pakistan, but the one thing we're desperate to do is back up that 2005 performance here.”The remaining selection call rests between the two left-arm spinners, Ashley Giles and Monty Panesar, the first Sikh to play Test cricket for England.
Giles played in all five Ashes Tests last year, capturing 10 wickets and chipping in with 155 runs. His lengthy injury spell this year has allowed Panesar to take 32 wickets in 10 Tests.
“It's a close call. It's something the coach (Duncan Fletcher) and I will speak about and will have a final one after the toss tomorrow,” Flintoff said.
“Monty has bowled well in the English summer. He's got top players out and he's batted at No.8 and scored some vital runs.
“The coach will probably make his final decision this evening and announce the side tomorrow.”Flintoff said he had been amazed at the number of English supporters he had encountered in Brisbane for the Ashes opener.
“I went out for dinner last night and had a walk around Brisbane yesterday with the family and the amount of people I bumped into from Preston or wherever has been amazing... it's almost like I'm at home,” he said.
“It's unbelievable. The fans have supported us now for a long time...
They're very excited, as we are.”England will check on the fitness of batsman Ian Bell on match morning after he was hit on the left wrist in net practice Tuesday. But he has substantial bruising, not a fracture.—AFP
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