Cricket: Bold Traford; Venue can inspire us again-Strauss.

Byline: By MYLES HODGSON

ANDREW STRAUSS hopes England can be inspired by last summer's Ashes experience at Old Trafford as they attempt to emerge from their slump on and off the pitch.

Long-term injuries to captain Michael Vaughan, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones - plus the news that key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will be sidelined for three months after a second operation on his left ankle -have dominated England's summer.

The long list of casualties has also overshadowed the failure to build any momentum since the Ashes success, so much so that Pakistan have moved ahead of them into second in the world Test rankings.

But stand-in captain Strauss has called on his side to remember last year's dramatic drawn Test against Australia at Old Trafford, when more than 10,000 people were locked out on the final day as England failed by one wicket to secure a memorable victory.

"If you need to draw on inspiration you only have to look back on that Test match," he said. "That fifth day with all those crowds outside and the atmosphere was quite incredible.

"It was a very good Test match wicket and hopefully the game will follow a similar pattern - only we can take that last wicket this time."

With time running out before they head to Australia for the return series, Strauss is well aware of the need for England to find their form sooner rather than later if they are to overcome Pakistan in the second npower Test at Manchester.

"The important thing is how we approach the Test match - how we go out there, how much effort and commitment we put in -because these are the things that are going to make a difference between winning and losing," he said.

"We saw last summer against the Aussies that if we all want it badly enough, we'll win and that's exactly what we've got to show this week and during the next three games.

"Because we've had a lot of problems off the pitch in terms of injuries it's been harder for us to go out and believe we're going to win every Test match.

"I think now we've come to terms with those injuries a little bit, we've moved forward and the guys who have come in have spent a little more time in the team now as well so there's no reason why they don't feel they can make a match-winning contribution.

"I think we've moved on from there, but we don't want to look too far ahead with the Ashes just around the corner.

"We need to make sure we do things well for the rest of the summer and if we do that, the hunger and belief is going to serve us well both for this summer and the winter."

England's progress has been undermined by a constant changing of leadership with four separate captains - Marcus Trescothick, Vaughan, Flintoff and now Strauss - leading the side since the Ashes.

That instability has not helped but with auss appointed to the end of this series at least, England will be hoping for a change in fortune.

"These are the circumstances we have to deal with," added Strauss. "No-one would say they are ideal and we've got to make the best of the situation.

"From my point of view that means captaining the side to the best of my ability and now I've got a bit of a longer run to try to gel the side in terms of winning this series."

TODAY: Second Test England v Pakistan, Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division One Warwickshire v Sussex, Hampshire v Yorkshire, Middlesex v Durham, Nottinghamshire v Lancashire, Division Two Derbyshire v Worcestershire, Gloucestershire v Glamorgan, Northamptonshire v Essex

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England's players go through their warm-up exercises at Old Trafford ahead of the Second Test against Pakistan, which starts today Andrew Strauss