Cricket: England searching for right formula - Strauss.

Byline: BY MYLES HODGSON Daily Post Correspondent

STAND-IN CAPTAIN Andrew Strauss has admitted England are running out of time for experimentation if they are to find the right formula for success in next year's World Cup.

Injuries to key personnel have forced England to make various changes this summer and give eight different players - including Jamie Dalrymple, Stuart Broad and Alastair Cook - their one-day international debuts.

But Strauss and England's management are well aware that the time for introducing new talent and blooding them at this level is fast running out with their opening match of the World Cup looming in just six months' time.

"The World Cup is not that far away now and you don't want to be experimenting too close to the World Cup," conceded Strauss.

"I think we've got a good mix between youth and experience now, which I think is important because you need that experience to go alongside the younger players - I think we've got the players, it's just a question of performing to the ability we know we have."

Current form, even without their long list of key players, suggests England are not likely to be among the leading challengers at the World Cup having lost 5-0 to Sri Lanka earlier this summer and lost Twenty20 internationals to both sets of tourists.

England at least halted their losing run on Wednesday evening when the rain washed out the opening encounter in the five-match series in Cardiff, although Pakistan looked poised to claim another victory when the weather intervened.

"We have been a little bit frustrated at the way we performed against Sri Lanka and we know that now is the time to start putting things right because the World Cup is not a long way away," said Strauss.

"Every game we play between now and then is very important and we've got four more games to go in this series and then the Champions Trophy before the real run-in to the World Cup in Australia.

"It is important we start hitting our straps soon, but all we're thinking about is getting the processes right and if we get that right it will lead to wins."

Among those "processes" has been the decision to return Strauss to his favoured opening role alongside Marcus Trescothick, who bat together at the top of the order at Test level, after a brief spell down the order.

With Ian Bell slotting in comfortably at number three, where he scored a career-best 88 at Sophia Gardens, it gives England a more balanced look at the top of the order even if it does not provide the possibility for an explosive start like other countries.

Sri Lanka gave former captain Sanath Jayasuriya the freedom to play aggressively during the early overs of fielding restrictions while Pakistan have Shahid Afridi, who can bat anywhere up the order.

England have tried a similar system with players like Geraint Jones, Matt Prior and Vikram Solanki all being tested in that role although they have now switched to a more patient style to provide the platform for strokemakers like Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff to play aggressively down the order.

"We've tried a few combinations," admitted Strauss.

"We were looking at the attacking opener at one stage and we've tried a couple of people in that role and that didn't quite work out for us.

"Maybe we have just gone back to trying to get more of an assured start and setting a platform for the middle-order players.

"Marcus has played that attacking role at the top of the order for a number of years now and done very well and it is not as if the other players at the top of the order can't hit boundaries, but wickets in hand are very, very important in one-day cricket."

He added: "When you have got players like Pietersen and Flintoff in your middle order when he is back you can afford maybe to take a little bit more time at the start.

"That's the theory and when we have played well it has worked exceptionally well and I still believe if we do play to that gameplan and play well we can beat any side in the world."

England will practise again at Lord's today prior to tomorrow's second match in the series when they will be looking for their first limited-overs victory of the summer.

It is important we start hitting our straps soon

ANDREW STRAUSS

CAPTION(S):

England captain Andrew Strauss has admitted time for experimenting for the World Cup is running out