Trescothick: We have the right ingredients to win in Pakistan

Marcus Trescothick embarks on his first senior England tour full of confidence. The Somerset vice-captain has impressed onlookers and team members alike with his maturity, and he is surely a potential England captain. The left handed opener has made an assured start to his international career, and believes his inclusion in the team provided the catalyst for the successful summer.

"It is a boost for the rest of the team when a new player can come in and immediately be successful," Trescothick revealed. "It created something different for the squad to see a young guy doing well and it encouraged the senior players to take a look at their game."

Trescothick knows there will be new challenges ahead, but he is confident he and the team will be up to the task.

"We have improved as a team but the challenge of beating Pakistan in a series is daunting despite our victory against the West Indies. However, I don't see why we can't take the next step in our development and beat a country away from home on a spinning wicket. We have the necessary ingredients."

England's record against spin in recent years is poor, and Trescothick has faced very little of it in his international career to date. He has studied Mushtaq Ahmed at close quarters while the pair played together at Somerset, and hopes that the experience of playing against the Pakistan stars in county cricket will prove valuable.

"In the past we have let ourselves down against spin bowling," Trescothick admitted. "We need to work hard in the nets to continue to uphold the positive spirit in the camp and then I believe an improvement will be evident."

"The team have had experience against the two best Pakistani bowlers because Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq both played county cricket for Lancashire and Surrey respectively. Although they will be a different story in their own country, I am confident because I have scored runs against both bowlers."