England set to rest players for Bangladesh Test series

Current vice-captain Alastair Cook could lead his country for the first time
10 April 2012

England are to increase their recent rotation policy over the coming 12 months with leading players likely to be rested for the Test series in Bangladesh.

With next summer beginning an intense year, which includes the 2010-11 Ashes defence and the World Cup, there is a need to ensure the leading players are as fresh as possible for key events.

Captain Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood and James Anderson have all been rested by England since the 2-1 Test victory over Australia last month.

That trio would be among the favourites to sit out the two-Test campaign against the Asian minnows next March, as they are regulars in both Test and one-day teams.

"Given the schedules we have to prioritise what we are doing," said England managing director of cricket Hugh Morris.

"We have to say that global events are obviously a big priority, the Ashes is a big priority, and India and South Africa series.

"We will have to prioritise and we need to get into a position where each player gets the right amount of preparation, the right amount of matches and the right amount of rest.

"In that regard we have to look very closely at the resting of players for series, parts of series, matches, as we have started to do."

If Strauss was to be given a break, Test specialist, and current vice-captain, Alastair Cook, could lead his country for the first time.

However, any player rested from any part of that tour would not be allowed to play for Indian Premier League franchises while England were in action.

One way or another that would mean England's IPL players not being available for the minimum three-week stints guaranteed by their No Objection Certificates until March 25, the day after the tour concludes - the last of the IPL round-robin matches take place between April 17-19.

"If England are playing cricket and we rest somebody, we would not expect them to play in any other form of cricket," confirmed Morris.

"We will look at each of the players and see where we get to in the next couple of weeks.

"The one thing about the Bangladesh tour is that given there is a World Cup there in 2011, and given that some of the players might not have been there before, we need to be mindful some players might benefit being in that environment."

Morris also revealed that he has received written confirmation from Andrew Chandler, Andrew Flintoff's agent, that the all-rounder will be available for all England's one-day and Twenty20 internationals for the forthcoming year, after he neglected the chance to sign an incremental contract.

The England and Wales Cricket Board are currently financing part of Flintoff's recovery from knee surgery in Dubai.

It is still not clear, however, when England's other star name Kevin Pietersen will be fit.

"With an Achilles injury you cannot be too careful, but we are still hopeful he will come out here at the start of the South Africa tour," Morris said.

"It is about monitoring and managing it. As and when he is right, clearly he will be back in the squad. But we can't rush him."

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