Tufnell: Leave nothing in reserve, boys

13 April 2012

As the England team prepare to sweat and battle in the opening one-day international against Pakistan tomorrow, the boys might like to know that I am waiting back in cold Blighty as the reserve spinner.

I'm not wishing for any injuries to anyone but how I would love to have the opportunity to get out there and get among the wickets.

Anyone who knows me will realise that I am obviously keeping myself fit and in good touch. All right, I may not be pounding the roads of Essex for 15-mile runs every day but in my own way, which has served me well over the years, I am ready for the call.

After the two minor games to get the tour started and the disappointing performance in Kenya, our guys have plenty to think about before the serious stuff starts.

Like South Africa, Pakistan are one of the best one-day units around. Judging by the look on Nasser Hussain's face during the award ceremony in Nairobi, there will have been some tough talking and a lot of hard work done in the days after England's arrival in Pakistan.

After such a brilliant summer, there was no question how disappointed and frustrated the lads were at their form in the ICC Tournament. However, seeing Nasser's reaction to Paul Allott's post-match questions for Sky - well, as the old saying goes, if looks could kill, the former England bowler would be six feet under by now.

England simply played poorly. The batsmen never gave the bowlers a chance with several poor shots which saw them getting caught in the deep. Now lads, if you're not strong enough to clear the field, don't bother trying.

Poor old Duncan Fletcher probably thought that England had left some of these mistakes behind. But, oh no, the problems reared their ugly heads again.

However, knockout cricket is always a bit of a lottery. It is normally a case of who can exert the pressure the earliest and force the mistakes. This is exactly what occurred and, to be honest, England did not handle it particularly well. Having said that, what do I know? I haven't played an international one-day game for three or four years, not since I took four for 22 against New Zealand and was made man of the match!

Sorry, just had to get that in. In some strange way, I think the nailing we took from South Africa could bode well for us in Pakistan. I'm sure no one was getting complacent but it may serve as a kick up the backside at the right time.

Make no mistake, this will be a very tough test against a team full of experience with a whole host of match winners. The Pakistanis use their own conditions and home advantage better than any other nation.

England have made some good strides this summer but, in order to mix it with the big boys regularly, we must find that elusive quality called consistency. You can't win all the time, but we did not even compete against South Africa.

Against Pakistan, we will have to get the basics right from the start or there could be more than just dodgy tummies to worry about.

So lads, let's start again tomorrow and set the tone for the rest of the tour. Let's get the runs on the board and give our bowlers a target to bowl at.

I know I always put the blame with the batsmen but that's a bowler's right, surely.

Seriously, though, if you don't score enough runs, then you won't win. It's as simple as that.

All the best then lads for the forthcoming one-day games. Get among them, be aggressive and believe in yourselves. A series win is definitely on the cards.

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Tufnell: Leave nothing in reserve, boys

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