We were not good enough to last the distance: Strauss (Lead)
March 27th, 2011 - 1:51 am ICT by IANSColombo, March 26 (IANS) England captain Andrew Strauss admitted they were not good enough to go the distance in the 2011 World Cup after their crushing 10-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals here Saturday.
“We would have liked to score 260-270. We did not get a good start and then we lost wickets when we were looking to rebuild,” Strauss said.
“Sri Lanka has variety in their bowling. Credit to them the way they bowled. We did not score enough runs as the wicket was flat and it eased out in the evening. We were looking for early wickets, but then we could not put any pressure on them. We lost to a better side.”
Asked whether they were feeling the heat having been on the tour since the Ashes, Strauss said: “I cannot fault the commitment and the desire shown by the players. They have played good cricket throughout. It is disappointing in the end to loose like this.
“We had some great moments when we won the Ashes. But then we had injuries and we lost form but we fought and scraped through. In the end we did not have enough quality to go all the way in this tournament.
“This team and English cricket have enough talent and we have to sit down with selectors and think about our best options for Test and ODIs.”
Strauss dismissed any talks of stepping down, saying “now is not the time to talk about it.”
Asked about the teams that have reached the last four, Strauss said: “They all have variety in the bowling and have been consistent with the bat.”
- Vettori asks team to rise to the occasion - Feb 25, 2011
- We have to play smart cricket: Strauss - Mar 25, 2011
- India have to prove they are world's top Test team: Botham - May 26, 2011
- We were thoroughly beaten by a better side: Strauss - Mar 27, 2011
- Sri Lanka won't have it easy against resilient England (Preview) - Mar 25, 2011
- Eden curator has a dig at Dhoni's 'ugly wicket' remark - Oct 27, 2011
- Australia lack firepower to reclaim Ashes: Holding - Apr 21, 2012
- Pietersen rates maiden IPL century as best Twenty20 innings - Apr 19, 2012
- We have to come back hungry for final: Sangakarra - Mar 30, 2011
- It's winning the World Cup that counts: Sangakkara (Lead) - Mar 30, 2011
- Strauss hoping his pacers will bowl with accuracy - Jul 15, 2011
- England well placed to be World No.1 side: Strauss - Jul 27, 2011
- New Zealand face daunting task against Sri Lanka (Preview) - Mar 28, 2011
- South African spinners made the difference: Sammy - Feb 25, 2011
- England can replace ageing India as top Test side: Vaughan - Dec 31, 2010
Tags: andrew strauss, bowling, desire, england captain, english cricket, odis, quarterfinals, selectors, sri lanka, wicket, wickets, world cup