England side yet to peak, says Andrew Strauss
Captain Andrew Strauss said England's Ashes-winning heroes have yet to reach their peak after meting out a 3-1 series thrashing to Australia.
Success down under has raised hopes that England - ranked third in the world - can challenge for the number one spot, held by India.
"It is a very good achievement to come out here and win," said Strauss.
"But the majority of the team are going to be hitting their peak time in the next couple of years."
England's emphatic 3-1 victory - their first in Australia for 24 years - was sealed courtesy of an innings and 83-run win in Sydney.
All three of England's victories were achieved by an innings margin, the first time Australia had suffered such an ignominious fate on home soil.
But with home Test series against Sri Lanka and India to come this summer, Strauss is determined that the side does not stand still and bask in their achievements of the last six weeks.
England celebrate Ashes triumph
"We've always got to be thinking about how we can improve and get better and hopefully one or two guys will be sticking their hands up and saying 'I can add something to this team as well'," he said.
"While I'm captain of the England side, you're not doing your job if you're not looking ahead to what's coming up and trying to keep the guys improving and going forward.
Tom Fordyce's blog
Not many parties start at 11.57am on a Friday and end without tears. This one will
"People will now have high expectations of us, and we're going to have to work very hard to live up to them. But we're as confident as I've ever seen in an England team."
Strauss feels that many of England's players can build on special performances throughout this series.
The captain's opening partner Alastair Cook was named man-of-the-series after top-scoring with 766 runs at and average of 127.66, which is second only to Wally Hammond's 905 in 1928-29 for most runs for England in a series in Australia.
James Anderson's series-leading 24 wickets was the most by any England bowler since Frank Tyson took 28 in 1954-5, while wicketkeeper Matt Prior took 23 catches in the series and hit the fastest century for England since Ian Botham in 1981 with his hundred off 109 balls in Sydney.
"For me the most impressive thing is the number of runs we've scored consistently which has been a bit of a weakness for us in the past," Strauss said.
"In that sense I'm excited about what we can achieve in the future.
"For the bowlers to be able to perform like that day in day out over five Test matches, is an exceptional effort.
"It's when you most need people to stand and deliver and you're always wondering at the back of your mind, are people going to do that? But you've seen the guys have all done that."
England's success also stems from the strength of their squad.
Chris Tremlett excelled as replacement for the injured Stuart Broad, taking 17 wickets at 23.35, while Tim Bresnan was drafted in to superb effect for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, claiming 11 wickets at 19.54.
"We've got some good depth and we're going to need it because the schedule is very tight and there are going to be injuries," admitted Strauss.
"Other guys are going to put their hands up and want to be part of the team."
Friday's success means England fans no longer have to hark back to the exploits of Mike Gatting's 1986-87 tourists to find a team good enough to win an Ashes series in Australia.
And Strauss was only too aware of the importance of ending that long wait.
"Now we have done it, I think we can give a big sigh of relief and be very proud of what we have achieved, because not many sides have come out here and won - and certainly not many as emphatically as we did in the end," he added.
The win in the fourth Test in Melbourne allowed England to retain the Ashes urn, but England were determined not to drop their guard in Sydney - even though Strauss was not necessarily expecting his team to win by an innings again.
"Until an Ashes series is finally over you've always got half an eye on what's to come - so even after Melbourne we were still very conscious that we wanted to finish the series on a high and show people we wanted to win the series," he stated.
"I didn't expect to win three Test matches by an innings, but what happens over the course of a series is that once one side gets on top and wins emphatically once or twice, it is very hard to come back at them.
"Their confidence is high, yours is lower, and the teams sort of drift apart. That's maybe where we got to in this Test match and it's a great testament to what happened earlier in the series."
Although England were well supported in Australia, Strauss was also aware of the numbers of cricket-lovers back home depriving themselves of sleep to follow his team's success.
"It's hard to appreciate what it's like back in England," he said. "You get text messages through, people saying 'this is amazing' and that they haven't had any sleep for seven weeks.
"It's a brilliant thing for English sport when we do well, in cricket and other sports. It does give everyone a lift, certainly in the bleak midwinter."
Strauss is only the third England captain - after Sir Len Hutton and Mike Brearley - to win an Ashes series both home and away.
However, the Middlesex man was cautious not to be too bold in declaring he will be national captain when England defend the urn on home turf in 2013.
"I think the more you do the job, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you develop your tactics, your thinking and the way you interact with people," he reflected.
"Definitely experience accounts for a huge amount. I've been doing the job for a couple of years now, hopefully there's a couple left there as well.
"But I think when I retire, I'll sit back and think this was one of the most special times of my career, definitely."
BBC Sport - Cricket - Ashes: England side yet to peak, says Andrew Strauss
I think Strauss is getting a bit carried away, Vaughan just talks out of his backside anyway so I couldn't care a less what he says. England played well, the aussies did not. While Vaughan's win over the aussies in 2005 was a big achievement, what with Langer, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath being in the side, it was by two narrow margins of victory (2 runs and 3 wkts) that England won - the "reverse fixture" down under in 06/07 was a FIVE NIL drubbing. England then won back the Ashes in 2009 in a close fought contest, this time the aussies were not in form, especially key players
Katich 2009 : 341 runs @ 42.63
Katich 10/11 : 97 runs @ 24.25
Ponting 2009 : 385 runs @ 48.13
Ponting 10/11 : 113 runs @ 16.14
Clarke 2009 : 448 runs @ 64.00
Clarke 10/11 : 193 runs @ 21.44
North 2009 : 367 runs @ 52.43 (also took 4/98 in the final Test)
North 10/11 : 49 runs @ 16.33
Hilfenhaus 2009 : 22 wkts @ 27.45
Hilfenhaus 10/11 : 7 wkts @ 59.29
Siddle wasn't so far off his 2009 form, nor Johnson, but both took 20 wickets in 2009 at averages in the low 30s compared to 14-15 wickets in 10/11 at averages in the mid 30s ie less wickets, more expensive.
But the real crunch with this notion England could be the best side in the world, all based on beating a very ordinary aussie side nowhere near their peak, involves countries like India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. England may beat West Indies, Bangladesh and New Zealand with monotonous regularity, even have the best of Pakistan in recent series, but when it comes to beating the top sides they are not doing it much/at all
England vs Sri Lanka
2002 ENG 2-0 SRI
03/04 SRI 1-0 ENG
2006 ENG 1-1 SRI
07/08 SRI 1-0 ENG
No series win over Sri Lanka since 2002, only one drawn series in the last three series including the Test of the "nine dropped catches" (Lords 2006?)
England vs India
1996 ENG 1-0 IND
01/02 IND 1-0 ENG
2002 ENG 1-1 IND
05/06 IND 1-1 ENG
2007 ENG 0-1 IND
08/09 IND 1-0 ENG
No series win over India since 1996, never any more than one Test in it since India whitewashed England 3-0 in 1993. In the last five series against India, England have managed just two drawn series.
England vs South Africa
04/05 SAF 1-2 ENG
2008 ENG 1-2 SAF
09/10 SAF 1-1 ENG
No series win over South Africa since 04/05, since South Africa returned to Test cricket England have won two series, but South Africa have won three.
All in all England aren't going to become "World Champions" unless they can beat those three sides more consistently than they do, no win over any of them since 04/05 isn't much of a starting point and I think England should focus more on the next series or two than start talking of "peaking" when they're still very much stop-start. Reducing the volume of games over West Indies, New Zealand and Bangladesh might help, they may get confidence boosting wins from playing them but it's a bit too "easy" in terms of getting runs and taking wickets so not great practice for much tougher tasks ahead.
England bowlers form since Ashes 2005
vs AUS/IND/SRI/SAF
Anderson : 98 wkts @ 36.68
Broad : 44 wkts @ 40.02
Finn : 14 wkts @ 33.14
Onions : 18 wkts @ 37.17
Tremlett : 30 wkts @ 26.10
Swann : 58 wkts @ 36.88
Panesar : 61 wkts @ 41.62
323 wkts @ 36.99
vs NZE/WIN/BAN/PAK
Anderson : 79 wkts @ 21.85
Broad : 55 wkts @ 31.42
Finn : 32 wkts @ 23.22
Onions : 10 wkts @ 20.00
Tremlett : 0 wkts @ n/a
Swann : 69 wkts @ 21.14
Panesar : 65 wkts @ 27.57
310 wkts @ 24.67
Taking nearly as many wickets against New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan and Bangladesh as South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Australia except at a far better average. England can be great one Test, godawful the next, but when it comes to the crunch the quality of opposition is a big factor. I could compare the batsmen, but they tend to be a bit more consistent, although Bell, Strauss and Collingwood all average just under 40 against the top sides while all the six batsmen from this series average 45+ against the weaker sides. Then again batting averages tend to be funny things, you can score one big hundred and then fail several times and still maintain a high average, bowlers need to be more consistent and only Tremlett and Swann are averaging under 30. Anderson thanks to 56 wkts @ 20.79 in his last three series is now averaging just a smidgeon over 30 - but perhaps that is a reflection of how poor his average was that he can have taken so many wickets at such a low average and still not be averaging under 30.
Captain Andrew Strauss said England's Ashes-winning heroes have yet to reach their peak after meting out a 3-1 series thrashing to Australia.
Success down under has raised hopes that England - ranked third in the world - can challenge for the number one spot, held by India.
"It is a very good achievement to come out here and win," said Strauss.
"But the majority of the team are going to be hitting their peak time in the next couple of years."
England's emphatic 3-1 victory - their first in Australia for 24 years - was sealed courtesy of an innings and 83-run win in Sydney.
All three of England's victories were achieved by an innings margin, the first time Australia had suffered such an ignominious fate on home soil.
But with home Test series against Sri Lanka and India to come this summer, Strauss is determined that the side does not stand still and bask in their achievements of the last six weeks.
England celebrate Ashes triumph
"We've always got to be thinking about how we can improve and get better and hopefully one or two guys will be sticking their hands up and saying 'I can add something to this team as well'," he said.
"While I'm captain of the England side, you're not doing your job if you're not looking ahead to what's coming up and trying to keep the guys improving and going forward.
Tom Fordyce's blog
Not many parties start at 11.57am on a Friday and end without tears. This one will
"People will now have high expectations of us, and we're going to have to work very hard to live up to them. But we're as confident as I've ever seen in an England team."
Strauss feels that many of England's players can build on special performances throughout this series.
The captain's opening partner Alastair Cook was named man-of-the-series after top-scoring with 766 runs at and average of 127.66, which is second only to Wally Hammond's 905 in 1928-29 for most runs for England in a series in Australia.
James Anderson's series-leading 24 wickets was the most by any England bowler since Frank Tyson took 28 in 1954-5, while wicketkeeper Matt Prior took 23 catches in the series and hit the fastest century for England since Ian Botham in 1981 with his hundred off 109 balls in Sydney.
"For me the most impressive thing is the number of runs we've scored consistently which has been a bit of a weakness for us in the past," Strauss said.
"In that sense I'm excited about what we can achieve in the future.
"For the bowlers to be able to perform like that day in day out over five Test matches, is an exceptional effort.
"It's when you most need people to stand and deliver and you're always wondering at the back of your mind, are people going to do that? But you've seen the guys have all done that."
England's success also stems from the strength of their squad.
Chris Tremlett excelled as replacement for the injured Stuart Broad, taking 17 wickets at 23.35, while Tim Bresnan was drafted in to superb effect for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, claiming 11 wickets at 19.54.
"We've got some good depth and we're going to need it because the schedule is very tight and there are going to be injuries," admitted Strauss.
"Other guys are going to put their hands up and want to be part of the team."
Friday's success means England fans no longer have to hark back to the exploits of Mike Gatting's 1986-87 tourists to find a team good enough to win an Ashes series in Australia.
And Strauss was only too aware of the importance of ending that long wait.
"Now we have done it, I think we can give a big sigh of relief and be very proud of what we have achieved, because not many sides have come out here and won - and certainly not many as emphatically as we did in the end," he added.
The win in the fourth Test in Melbourne allowed England to retain the Ashes urn, but England were determined not to drop their guard in Sydney - even though Strauss was not necessarily expecting his team to win by an innings again.
"Until an Ashes series is finally over you've always got half an eye on what's to come - so even after Melbourne we were still very conscious that we wanted to finish the series on a high and show people we wanted to win the series," he stated.
"I didn't expect to win three Test matches by an innings, but what happens over the course of a series is that once one side gets on top and wins emphatically once or twice, it is very hard to come back at them.
"Their confidence is high, yours is lower, and the teams sort of drift apart. That's maybe where we got to in this Test match and it's a great testament to what happened earlier in the series."
Although England were well supported in Australia, Strauss was also aware of the numbers of cricket-lovers back home depriving themselves of sleep to follow his team's success.
"It's hard to appreciate what it's like back in England," he said. "You get text messages through, people saying 'this is amazing' and that they haven't had any sleep for seven weeks.
"It's a brilliant thing for English sport when we do well, in cricket and other sports. It does give everyone a lift, certainly in the bleak midwinter."
Strauss is only the third England captain - after Sir Len Hutton and Mike Brearley - to win an Ashes series both home and away.
However, the Middlesex man was cautious not to be too bold in declaring he will be national captain when England defend the urn on home turf in 2013.
"I think the more you do the job, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you develop your tactics, your thinking and the way you interact with people," he reflected.
"Definitely experience accounts for a huge amount. I've been doing the job for a couple of years now, hopefully there's a couple left there as well.
"But I think when I retire, I'll sit back and think this was one of the most special times of my career, definitely."
BBC Sport - Cricket - Ashes: England side yet to peak, says Andrew Strauss
I think Strauss is getting a bit carried away, Vaughan just talks out of his backside anyway so I couldn't care a less what he says. England played well, the aussies did not. While Vaughan's win over the aussies in 2005 was a big achievement, what with Langer, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath being in the side, it was by two narrow margins of victory (2 runs and 3 wkts) that England won - the "reverse fixture" down under in 06/07 was a FIVE NIL drubbing. England then won back the Ashes in 2009 in a close fought contest, this time the aussies were not in form, especially key players
Katich 2009 : 341 runs @ 42.63
Katich 10/11 : 97 runs @ 24.25
Ponting 2009 : 385 runs @ 48.13
Ponting 10/11 : 113 runs @ 16.14
Clarke 2009 : 448 runs @ 64.00
Clarke 10/11 : 193 runs @ 21.44
North 2009 : 367 runs @ 52.43 (also took 4/98 in the final Test)
North 10/11 : 49 runs @ 16.33
Hilfenhaus 2009 : 22 wkts @ 27.45
Hilfenhaus 10/11 : 7 wkts @ 59.29
Siddle wasn't so far off his 2009 form, nor Johnson, but both took 20 wickets in 2009 at averages in the low 30s compared to 14-15 wickets in 10/11 at averages in the mid 30s ie less wickets, more expensive.
But the real crunch with this notion England could be the best side in the world, all based on beating a very ordinary aussie side nowhere near their peak, involves countries like India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. England may beat West Indies, Bangladesh and New Zealand with monotonous regularity, even have the best of Pakistan in recent series, but when it comes to beating the top sides they are not doing it much/at all
England vs Sri Lanka
2002 ENG 2-0 SRI
03/04 SRI 1-0 ENG
2006 ENG 1-1 SRI
07/08 SRI 1-0 ENG
No series win over Sri Lanka since 2002, only one drawn series in the last three series including the Test of the "nine dropped catches" (Lords 2006?)
England vs India
1996 ENG 1-0 IND
01/02 IND 1-0 ENG
2002 ENG 1-1 IND
05/06 IND 1-1 ENG
2007 ENG 0-1 IND
08/09 IND 1-0 ENG
No series win over India since 1996, never any more than one Test in it since India whitewashed England 3-0 in 1993. In the last five series against India, England have managed just two drawn series.
England vs South Africa
04/05 SAF 1-2 ENG
2008 ENG 1-2 SAF
09/10 SAF 1-1 ENG
No series win over South Africa since 04/05, since South Africa returned to Test cricket England have won two series, but South Africa have won three.
All in all England aren't going to become "World Champions" unless they can beat those three sides more consistently than they do, no win over any of them since 04/05 isn't much of a starting point and I think England should focus more on the next series or two than start talking of "peaking" when they're still very much stop-start. Reducing the volume of games over West Indies, New Zealand and Bangladesh might help, they may get confidence boosting wins from playing them but it's a bit too "easy" in terms of getting runs and taking wickets so not great practice for much tougher tasks ahead.
England bowlers form since Ashes 2005
vs AUS/IND/SRI/SAF
Anderson : 98 wkts @ 36.68
Broad : 44 wkts @ 40.02
Finn : 14 wkts @ 33.14
Onions : 18 wkts @ 37.17
Tremlett : 30 wkts @ 26.10
Swann : 58 wkts @ 36.88
Panesar : 61 wkts @ 41.62
323 wkts @ 36.99
vs NZE/WIN/BAN/PAK
Anderson : 79 wkts @ 21.85
Broad : 55 wkts @ 31.42
Finn : 32 wkts @ 23.22
Onions : 10 wkts @ 20.00
Tremlett : 0 wkts @ n/a
Swann : 69 wkts @ 21.14
Panesar : 65 wkts @ 27.57
310 wkts @ 24.67
Taking nearly as many wickets against New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan and Bangladesh as South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Australia except at a far better average. England can be great one Test, godawful the next, but when it comes to the crunch the quality of opposition is a big factor. I could compare the batsmen, but they tend to be a bit more consistent, although Bell, Strauss and Collingwood all average just under 40 against the top sides while all the six batsmen from this series average 45+ against the weaker sides. Then again batting averages tend to be funny things, you can score one big hundred and then fail several times and still maintain a high average, bowlers need to be more consistent and only Tremlett and Swann are averaging under 30. Anderson thanks to 56 wkts @ 20.79 in his last three series is now averaging just a smidgeon over 30 - but perhaps that is a reflection of how poor his average was that he can have taken so many wickets at such a low average and still not be averaging under 30.
