England coach Andy Flower blamed his team’s lengthy lay-off as one of the factors contributing towards the 3-0 Test series rout by Pakistan, assuring he will adjust preparations accordingly in the future.
England, who didn’t play a Test since beating India in August last year, succumbed to their first-ever whitewash against Pakistan following a 71-run defeat in the third and final Test here on Monday.
“I think that one of the differences between the two sides was that while we were sitting at home resting for two months prior to Christmas, Pakistan were playing against Sri Lanka, who are a very fine side,” Flower said on Tuesday. “They were then playing Bangladesh in Bangladesh, so they were hardening themselves up for this series, and we weren’t.
“That, I would imagine, is a factor in this result, and we will adjust our preparation accordingly, and take those lessons into the Sri Lanka series and the India tour,” said Flower.
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