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News

England can win series - Collingwood

Paul Collingwood is refusing to give up the one-day series against Pakistan as a lost cause despite England's 165-run drubbing at Karachi

Cricinfo staff
16-Dec-2005


Paul Collingwood: 'We're not just going to lie down and lose these last two games' © Getty Images
Paul Collingwood is refusing to give up the one-day series against Pakistan as a lost cause despite England's 165-run drubbing at Karachi. That defeat, their equal heaviest in one-day internationals, has left England needing to win the final two matches at Rawalpindi to claim the series.
"We have a lot of pride and we want to show it. We're not just going to lie down and lose these last two games," Collingwood told reporters. "Obviously it is disappointing to be beaten like we were, but we realise what we have to do now. We've got two games left - and we simply have to win them. That is the way we have to look at it."
Collingwood says that if England win the series, it will give a tough tour a pleasing finish. "We still have an opportunity to win this one-day series. We're all very positive and confident we can do that. If we come out 3-2 winners it's been a good series. It's up to us to go out and play the cricket that's needed."
England's tour finishes back where it began, at Rawalpindi, and although they managed to sneak a win in their opening match against a Patron's XI, the trip has never really taken off for the team. But Collingwood says the team are determined to fight out these last two ODIs and take something home from the tour. He is hoping to draw on the experience of the Indian tour in 2001-02 when England came from behind to level the one-day series.
"The boys are up for it. It's not as if we are down and out. We came back from 3-0 down [actually it was 3-1] in India two years ago. We can do it - we know that. We're determined to go out there and win. You have to say to the boys 'There are two games left - all the effort has to go into them...and enjoy it'. I think we play our best cricket when we enjoy it."
Despite the crushing nature of the defeat at Karachi - and the seven-wicket loss in the second match at Lahore - Collingwood does not think England are that far away from forming a formidable one-day team. But he admits it is often the same small errors which cost England at vital times.
"We need to do the little 'one-percenters' better - right across the board. We have not played our best cricket - we realise that. We played very well in the first game and want to get ourselves back to those standards. If we do that we'll have a good chance of winning."