By John Mehaffey
LONDON, Oct 7 - England are in no danger of
allowing their euphoria at regaining the Ashes to obscure the
amount of work still ahead of them, captain Andrew Strauss said
on Wednesday.
Strauss was a member of the England team who were accused of
losing their way because they had celebrated too hard and too
long after the 2005 Ashes triumph,
"There are definitely lessons to be learned. The perception
was we took the eye off the ball after the (2005) Ashes series,"
Strauss told reporters at the launch of his second book "Testing
Times".
"Whether that's true or not, I think it's vitally important
we don't do it this time. We haven't had a month off to bask in
the glory of the Ashes, we've been playing cricket since then
and we've had some tough times.
"I think there is very little danger of us thinking we're
the genuine article at this stage. There's also a test tour to
South Africa, they're the number one side in the world and
that's a massive ask for us.
The extent of the challenge ahead of us is very motivating
and exciting so we will keep grounded and it will also be a
great gauge to see where we are at as a side."
FAIR REFLECTION
Strauss said he thought England's current test ranking of
fifth in the world was a fair reflection of their current form.
"The way the guys stood up to pressure in the Ashes is very
encouraging but sterner tests will follow," he said.
"The consistency aspect's crucial, if you look back to when
Australia were dominating the world they could beat sides on any
surface because they had great variety in their side.
"If we want to be the best side in the world, which is
clearly a long-term goal of ours, then big improvements are
required in that respect."
England play four tests, five one-day matches and two
Twenty20 internationals on their tour of South Africa starting
next month.
The test and one-day squads will be announced on Thursday
with Kevin Pietersen likely to be recalled following Achilles
surgery which kept him out of the final three Ashes tests.
Infection to the scar tissue then forced him to miss the
Champions Trophy.
Strauss said he thought Pietersen would have "a fantastic 12
months".
"He's one of the greatest players England have ever
produced," he said.
(Editing by Ed Osmond; To query or comment on this story
email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)