Strauss defends World Cup tactics

Updated 10.44 Fri Apr 13 2007
Keywords: Andrew Strauss, England, World Cup, cricket, sport

Andrew Strauss has defended England's World Cup strategy ahead of their must-win clash with South Africa in the Super Eights.

Michael Vaughan and his men are bidding to reach the semi-finals in the Caribbean but have yet to beat a major Test playing side so far in the tournament.

"Although we've been a long way off our best we've still competed and we took Sri Lanka to the wire and there was also a time when Australia were under real pressure against us" - Andrew Strauss

Former players like Geoff Boycott have already called for a change in the batting order with struggling skipper Vaughan possibly being moved down to accommodate the promotion of a big-hitting player like Andrew Flintoff.

But Strauss believes England's sub-standard displays to date are not down to their strategy of trying to build a solid foundation, which they have struggled to do throughout the competition, before allowing their big-hitters to prosper.

The 30-year-old Middlesex left-hander said: "I think shuffling the order creates confusion generally. We have a strategy that we know if we play well will work, and we've got to stick to that, but just play better - that's the simple truth that as batsmen we have to play better.

"We recognise that, but although we've been a long way off our best we've still competed and we took Sri Lanka to the wire and there was also a time when Australia were under real pressure against us. That's a positive for us and if we do string it together we know we can beat these guys and beat them comfortably."

Back-to-back victories over South Africa on Tuesday and the West Indies next Saturday will see England book their place in the last four of the World Cup for the first time since 1992.

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