Duncan Fletcher has insisted that England still have plenty to play for in the remainder of the npower Test series, despite the Ashes having been lost
CricInfo05-Aug-2001Duncan Fletcher has insisted that England still have plenty to play for in the remainder of the npower Test series, despite the Ashes having been lost.The England coach is determined that the good work of the previous 18 months should not be undermined by a morale destroying 5-0 whitewash at the hands of the Australians.”It would have been important that we won the series,” Fletcher said. “If there is a whitewash, it will set us back quite a bit, I’d have to honest about that, after the good work we have done.”Fletcher believes that England could have won at Trent Bridge, but knows that the there is a narrow divide between success and failure at this level.”At one stage we had a chance when we had them seven down,” Fletcher reflected ruefully. “If we had got a couple of wickets next day, it would have been an interesting Test match, if we’d have knocked them over for 120 and got a few more runs.”We’ve got to play a higher standard of cricket. Australia have got an experienced Test side and have come through those areas before. I think 250 would have been a good target.”But echoing the words of David Graveney – the chairman of selectors, who told the BBC that wholesale team changes were not on the cards – Fletcher expressed his faith in the current side.”This side has shown it’s got pride before – they want to come back and play with a lot of a pride and try and get a victory or two out of the next two Tests.”We’ve gone though five Test series undefeated before this. The guys played well. At the end of day, and I’ve mentioned this before, we probably peaked too soon to some degree.”Selection is always a very difficult task, it not an easy job to do. You pick someone you always get criticised in hindsight. Most of the time when you pick them you are not sure how mentally strong they are when they reach that level you only find out when they play out there.”Responding to the news that Nasser Hussain is to return to competitive cricket in an Essex second XI game against Notts on Wednesday, Fletcher was at pains to credit the importance of Hussain to the team.”Nasser is very important to the England side,” Fletcher said. “He’s been with us through that successful period, we were expecting the side to perform well in the series.”Suddenly to lose him was a very big blow – he’s a shrewd captain, assesses the situation well.”And he defended some of England’s old-guard, who are the centre of speculation concerning their international futures. He hinted that both players would feature in the side for the rest of the series.”It was very difficult for an individual (Mike Atherton) who hasn’t done the job for while, even with his past experience, to come in here in a situation like this and captain against Australia,” Fletcher reasoned.”Alec Stewart has done well, kept well, played some important knocks, Atherton’s played some very important knocks for us. Not only that, they are experienced.”It’s difficult to go into a Test match without experience, and they are our two most experienced players around at the moment.”Meanwhile Michael Slater reiterated Australia’s desire to complete a 5-0 whitewash.”That’s our attitude, that’s something we have addressed over the last couple of years, because in the past we’ve been guilty of winning a series and then pulling back a bit for the last couple,” Slater said.”You could call them dead rubbers, but there’s never a dead game because there’s the pride you have to play with for you individual performance.”So we are looking to win 5-0 now. You don’t to look too far ahead, the Headingley Test is the next important one for us, but certainly our sights are set on winning 5-0.”Consistency is winning us the matches. We’ve got an amazingly talented side and we’ve got a wealth of experience now. And all that talent has been harnessed now, and we’ve got individuals who believe in their talent,” Slater continued.”Those who are out their representing your country have got to believe they are good enough to be out there. I think England need to work overtime at really believing and getting the combination right.”I think they are up against a more experienced side and a side that has been winning for a long time. And because of that belief and optimism, you are always looking at the nicer side of things and you are used to winning those key moments.”