Andrew Strauss: No pressure as No 1

Dubai The England cricket team arrived in the UAE yesterday to get acclimatised to the conditions before their three-Test series against Pakistan starting on January 17.

England skipper Andrew Strauss looked confident and fresh at a press conference yesterday afternoon after his short break from international cricket, having played his last Test series in August last year.

He said of the tour: "We will try and pick the 11 that we think that is most likely to win a game of cricket and we are not going to prejudge the wicket too much.

"Many mistakes were made in the past by assuming that the wicket is going to play a certain way and then being surprised it doesn't. It is too early to say exactly what stuff we are going to use. All that I can say is we have a very balanced bowling attack."

Strauss is also not unduly worried about the pressure of being the No 1 ranked Test team. "Getting to No 1 in ranking is nothing really. It is just your name on a piece of paper, that is all it is.

"There is always a new challenge ahead of you. This one against Pakistan is a very stern challenge. Whenever any side gets to play a subcontinental team, it is a challenge because it requires different sorts of skills to win over them.

Advantage Pakistan

"This particular challenge comes at a good time for us because we are confident after having played some good cricket recently," added Strauss before leaving for the Dubai Sports City stadium to take a look at the wicket.

The series of three Tests, four One Day Internationals and three Twenty20s are being played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi because of security fears in Pakistan.

"I don't call the UAE a neutral venue because it is a venue advantageous to Pakistan. They have been playing a lot of cricket here recently and they are more familiar with the conditions than we are," Strauss said.

"Look at the history of Test cricket and it is generally not played in a neutral venue. This is a unique situation, but the facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are simply fantastic.

"I am not looking forward to many English people coming out to watch, but it would be nice if we can get some decent crowds that will provide a good spectacle. It will be good for the sport here as well," he added.

Strauss is ready for all eventualities, including injuries to his bowlers. "We have an extra bowling reserve because Chris Tremlett, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan all have been carrying injuries for a while now.

"We cannot be 100 per cent sure of their fitness levels until they go and play a game of cricket. Graham Onions is a fantastic pace man to have as a cover for injuries."

Strauss is also not willing to look too far ahead. "We have three subcontinent tours this year. So we need to maintain our current position and keep improving. We also play South Africa and West Indies, which will also be stern challenges for us.

"I honestly believe that it is dangerous to look too far ahead at this stage. The coming tours will set the tone on what is going to happen the rest of the year, so it be is better to focus on this first."