England will face the might of South Africa in a test series which could define their status on the world stage.
Fresh off their ashes triumph Andrew Strauss’s men will be hoping that they can build on their historic success unlike they did after the 2005 victory.
Strauss and Coach Andy Flower will know that another bout of complacency and overconfidence could lead to disastrous consequences, just like last time after England had just beaten the number one team in the world and then had the chance to dethrone their arch rivals but instead collapsed.
This eventually culminated in a humiliating 5-0 whitewash against the Aussies.
This time though both Strauss and Flower will be determined not to make the same mistakes that Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher made.
South Africa - Hard Prospect
Facing South Africa on home turf is one of the hardest prospects in world cricket today – and if England can repeat what they did when they last travelled there (a 2-1 series victory) then the Ashes will be seen as a stepping stone as appose to the peak for the team.
However, what they must do if they are to taste success once more, is to ensure that the same team spirit and ethic that they displayed through the summer is evident again.
Secondly, they need to keep their best players fit throughout the entirety of the series, as everyone saw at Headingly what happened when both Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pieterson were injured.
A third key point which is essential for the England squad is to make sure that they do not show that Flintoff is missed too much as this could mean more humiliation.
Kevin Peterson
If the team can compensate for the all-rounder’s retirement by the batsmen other than Strauss and Pieterson all coming in with runs and the bowlers all chipping in with wickets then a victory may not be too unrealistic for this still relatively young side.
What both Strauss and Flower were keen to emphasise at the end of the summer was that they wanted to press on and thus kept celebrations very low key and that beating the Proteas was their next objective – which seems both sensible and professional.
They have therefore picked the squad on form and not reputation by omitting Steve Harmison and selecting the very hard working Sajid Mahmood, Adil Rashid and Luke Wright among others. This sends out a strong and positive message, as it illustrates to everyone that they must earn their right to play in this side.
Therefore England now has the chance to prove to their fans that they really can become the world’s number one test team and not just a one series wonder.
By James Lewis
