Andy Pick Quotations

We are looking to get counties to play their young England players earlier, and the first reports from the counties are that it is working well. It also helps us to prepare in a better fashion.

When they come here, what we are looking for them to do is step up to the plate, take responsibility and get the big innings, the centuries - or take a lead with the ball.

In 2004, we had a great year, with Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, Tim Bresnan, Luke Wright, Alistair Cook. Some groups are not quite as strong.

Equally, though, there are guys who play England Under 19 who don't even play First Class cricket. It is a watershed in the careers in many ways.

I am hoping the four new players can bring in some energy and fresh enthusiasm because they do not have the baggage that comes from being part of a losing side.

A chance, as a coach, to take a team to the World Cup finals is probably as high up the tree as it gets, certainly with one-day cricket.

The way I'm looking at it at the moment and the impression that I'm getting from the people in Canada is that I think the World Cup is the icing on the cake and I think that realistically we go to the World Cup in the hope of putting on a good performance against England and New Zealand -- and hopefully beating Kenya.

That's now a huge trip for us. It means we have the chance to go to the tournament off the back of three wins if we play well rather than the 11 losses we had in Bangladesh. If we can do that then hopefully the confidence, morale and form will flow.

The trip has given players experience of conditions similar to those they might experience in Colombo. But we have to be honest and say that it is a negative.