Embattled England captain Andrew Strauss has challenged his players to prove that they are match-winners in the absence of their two main players - Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.
The side Strauss is leading now has sunk to ignominious depths, having already lost the series in the shortest time possible and being down 4-0, with three matches to play.
Both Flintoff and Pietersen are on rehabilitation courses from surgery, and while Pietersen's earliest estimated comeback is for the tour of South Africa in November, Flintoff, who will mull over whether to sign a modest incremental contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board or effectively go freelance over the coming days, would be back only by the time the Bangladesh series rolls around in February next year.
"It is always hard to be without your two best players but that's the reality we are in, it is not going to be changing for a while so other people have to stand up," said Strauss. "Hopefully when they do return we have got more potential match-winners.
"In a good, functioning one-day team you have got match-winners everywhere.
"The top six have all got to be capable of getting one-day international hundreds. And hundreds generally win you games.
"We are all capable of doing that but we haven't done it. Until someone does do it we are always going to find things a little bit difficult."
Strauss is adamant Australia are beatable but they have extended their dominance to 11 wins out of 14 meetings with their Ashes rivals during this limited-overs campaign.
© PTI
The side Strauss is leading now has sunk to ignominious depths, having already lost the series in the shortest time possible and being down 4-0, with three matches to play.
Both Flintoff and Pietersen are on rehabilitation courses from surgery, and while Pietersen's earliest estimated comeback is for the tour of South Africa in November, Flintoff, who will mull over whether to sign a modest incremental contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board or effectively go freelance over the coming days, would be back only by the time the Bangladesh series rolls around in February next year.
"It is always hard to be without your two best players but that's the reality we are in, it is not going to be changing for a while so other people have to stand up," said Strauss. "Hopefully when they do return we have got more potential match-winners.
"In a good, functioning one-day team you have got match-winners everywhere.
"The top six have all got to be capable of getting one-day international hundreds. And hundreds generally win you games.
"We are all capable of doing that but we haven't done it. Until someone does do it we are always going to find things a little bit difficult."
Strauss is adamant Australia are beatable but they have extended their dominance to 11 wins out of 14 meetings with their Ashes rivals during this limited-overs campaign.
© PTI
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