Thaindian News

London, May 1 (ANI): Off-spinner Graeme Swann has said it would be great if England gets the No. 1 ranking.

He said that he and his team mates were looking forward to taking on the Sri Lankans in the forthcoming Test series that begins later this month.

The matches are to be played in Cardiff, Lord’s and Hampshire’s Rose Bowl.

According to ex-cricketer and now commentator David Lloyd, England must get over its obsession with that “funny little urn (The Ashes).But Swann thinks differently.

He says: “It’s the biggest thing in cricket, the greatest sporting event on the planet. It is the most important series England and Australia play, as simple as that. The biggest Test series in cricket, full stop. Of course every series is important, but if you ask any of the players what is top of their wish list then winning an Ashes series would be it.”

He adds: “For me, the Ashes will always be the premier cricket event, the one that I will always be desperate to play in and desperate to win.”

“This is a massive summer for us. After the winter we’ve had it would be a real shame if we didn’t carry on the good work. We want to be No 1 in the world and if we can beat first Sri Lanka and then India later this summer I think we’ll have gone a long way towards doing that,” Swann said.

He adds: “Being the No 1 Test team would be a great title to have and it’s what we are going for. We’ve made no secret about that - we want to be No 1 in both Tests and one-dayers.”

England are third in the Test rankings, behind India and South Africa. But with a four-match series against the leaders to follow Sri Lanka’s visit, the summit - which was obscured for so long by Australia’s seemingly immovable presence - is now in view. (ANI)