Strauss says focus, not great Churchillian speech, best preparation ahead of Ashes opener

SYDNEY - England skipper Andrew Strauss believes that the perfect mood ahead of Thursday’s crucial Ashes opener in Brisbane will be the ideal mixture of excitement, intensity and confidence.

“We must not get too emotional on the first morning. It is important we stay logical and commit to the plans we’ve talked about. But the guys are ready, they are in good form and in a good place psychologically,” the Sun quoted Strauss, as saying.

“People look at the captain to see how he is handling himself, but that’s where experience counts and I’ve played in a couple of Ashes series. You know it’s a time to trust your technique, ability and planning.”

“I won’t be singing and dancing on the bus to the ground and I won’t be delivering any great Churchillian speech because there’s no need. The guys are ready to play,” he added.

The 33-year-old is further highlighted that the Australian team has a proud record at home, which would keep his team alert.

“The key is to lift our performance and we can do that considerably from four years ago. You expect their fast bowler to target our opening batsmen. They’ll be poring over footage trying to find weaknesses and, if they want to let us know their plans before the series starts, that’s fine with me,” Strauss said. ANI)