Cricket: England must adapt to conditions

ISLAMABAD - England's players will have to adapt quickly to very different conditions if they are to make a success of their tour of Pakistan, captain Michael Vaughan has said.

The tourists are buoyant after reclaiming the Ashes with their home series triumph against Australia but Vaughan warned: "This is going to be a challenging series for us playing in different conditions.

"The players will have to make some technical changes to do well in these conditions after their win at home," he told a news conference after the team's arrival in Islamabad amid tight security.

"These are new conditions for a lot of our lads and they are excited about trying to do well in Pakistan, who have improved in the last year."

The tourists are without injured pace bowler Simon Jones whose swing bowling played a big part in England's Ashes success.

"He is an important member of the side and played an important role in the Ashes win," Vaughan said. "But it is an opportunity for the other guys to grab their chances."

England play three tests and five one-day internationals on a 58-day tour. They have four days to get acclimatised before facing a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Patrons XI in a three-day game in Rawalpindi starting on Oct. 31.

Vaughan said in order to displace Australia as the number one team in the world, England would have to start beating teams on away tours as well as winning consistently at home.

"This tour and the one to India after Christmas is part of our bid to become the number team in the world as we are still not there," he said.

On their last tour of Pakistan five years ago England won the test series 1-0. The last series between the two teams in 2001 was drawn 1-1 in England.

- REUTERS