Want to get off to a good start in the Ashes, asserts Tim Paine
Tim Paine is adamant that his side will look to get off to a good start at the start of their Ashes campaign against England in the first Test on August 1. Paine heaped praise on the Australian fast bowling attack boasting the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson.
Australia will hope to avenge their defeat in the recent semi-final loss at the hands of England at the recently-concluded ICC World Cup earlier this month. The Aussies open their campaign at Edgbaston on August 1. Australian skipper Tim Paine is adamant that his team can do well as long as they stick to their plans and execute them well.
"Regardless of where it is, obviously we want to get off to a good start in the Ashes. It's really important that you get some momentum early in a big series like this. We haven't spoken about whether Edgbaston is a fortress for them because that's irrelevant. It's about being clear on what we want to do, both individually and as a team. If we can be really clear, come out and execute well, it doesn't matter if we play at Edgbaston or on the moon, we think our best cricket is good enough," Paine was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.Â
Paine, who has played 21 Test matches and scored 984 runs in the process, also heaped praise on the Australian bowling attack which boasts the likes of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson.Â
"We're going to pick the team we think is going to win each Test match given the conditions we get when we arrive at those venues. And the bowlers are across that. I think that's a great thing for our team - to have a really strong mix of fast bowlers who can all play in different conditions. But as we've said to the fast bowlers, it's actually a great thing for them as well because we can now prolong their careers for a few years. The last two or three years, we've been way too reliant on Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood - they've played a lot of Tests and subsequently picked up lots of niggly injuries along the way.
"It's a positive for all those guys. Another one is Peter Siddle, he can get another 12 months of Test cricket if we keep picking guys for the conditions. That's the way we've sold it to them. It's a great thing for the team but it's also a great thing for them individually," added Paine.