New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) England captain Harry Brook has stressed the importance of improving the team’s fitness and preparation standards as they begin their build-up towards next year’s ODI World Cup, ahead of their three-match series against Australia.
“With the World Cup 12 months away, it’s a good period now to really start to try and nestle down, hone in on the skills and the lessons that we’ve learned,” Brook said, as quoted by Cricinfo.
"The key thing is to try and be one of the fittest and strongest sides in the world. To be able to try and dominate throughout that competition (World Cup),” he added.
England will begin their ODI series against Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth on November 13, with a preparatory one-day match against Western Australia scheduled at the revamped WACA ground.
Brook also underlined the need to improve England’s preparations away from the field, while acknowledging that results cannot always be guaranteed.
“Obviously, whether you win or lose isn’t always there. You can never guarantee that, but the off-field…you can guarantee the off-field preparation can be a lot better. Can really help towards winning games,” he added.
England have also been weighing their options in the spin department, with Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson competing for a place in the playing eleven.
Speaking about Rashid’s recent omission from the side during the Pakistan series, Brook said the decision was influenced by the conditions.
“He’s been training the last few days. He’s good. He’s bowling nicely. The decisions to not play him have been typically condition-based. We felt that the left arm was more suitable to the conditions in Pakistan, as we saw throughout the series generally,” he said.
The England skipper also praised Australia’s emerging fast bowler Mahli Beardman, who is expected to feature against them in the upcoming fixtures.
“He’s got some pace behind him. He’s got a nice action as well. Looking forward to seeing what he can do out here,” Brook said.
“But at the end of the day, we’ve got to go out there and trust our skills against whoever we’re playing. This is a great opportunity to play against a strong Western Australian side. It’s a great challenge for us.”
--IANS
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