Cricket: One-day success cannot cure England's ailments

Three days after a painful Test and series defeat at the hands of a resurgent Pakistan, Michael Atherton must try to pick up his side and win the Texaco trophy. But if the Texaco has traditionally put the petrol in England's early season tank, the lateness of this three-match series could test his team's battered willpower to the limit.

It will not be easy, despite the inclusion of new faces. Neither, on the evidence of past seasons, will it be significant. England have often won the limited-overs series (eight out of the last 10), only to be thrashed in the Tests and, although a win over Pakistan would soothe some fevered brows, it will not identify those adept at winning matches over the longer distance.

It is not even guaranteed to sift out our best one-day players either. Three months ago a very different squad assembled to play India. Since then, six changes have been made (Chris Lewis the only enforced one), including the shelving of the pinch-hitter: a decision David Lloyd says can be put down to the increased pace of Pakistan's opening bowlers - Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

Instead, in today's series opener at Old Trafford, the right hand-left hand combination of Atherton and Nick Knight will open for England, the free-scoring Alec Stewart back in his Surrey role at No 3.

Considering that Stewart was England's best batsman during the Tests, the wisdom of this is not entirely clear. True, the two quicks will not be able to go in for that lethal throat and toecap combination of theirs - the former not allowable under one-day rules, but, as world experts at the latter, England will need to score their runs early on, before yorkers and reverse swing reduce batting to simply a matter of survival. A start that a rejuvenated Stewart is best equipped to give them.

The batting will need to be long, too. At least that is the conclusion of England's coach after looking at the pitch, which is dry and cracked. Apparently the groundsman, Peter Marron, has had trouble with his grass roots, and the square looks patchy and rough.

Who misses out was not a decision that was taken yesterday, as England stuck to fielding routines, unable to use the waterlogged nets. With no Dominic Cork, Atherton is bound to want Darren Gough in his starting line- up. The Yorkshireman's ebullience has been missed and many feel he is ready for a return to the big time.

"I feel I've done well this season," Gough said yesterday. "I've bowled over 500 overs for Yorkshire and my body has stood up to it. The experience has made me more mature and responsible than I was two years ago when I first played for England. I'm certainly not a worse bowler but I've not turned into a line and length bowler either."

Dean Headley appeared to be taking his impending breakthrough to the big time rather calmly. With two recent hat-tricks in consecutive county matches, Kent's opening bowler is certainly on a roll. In fact, when he got his hat-trick against Derbyshire, he asked the victims to sign the ball. One of those who signed was Dean Jones, who instead of putting his usual smiley face in the O of his surname, drew a sad face in its place. England will be overjoyed if Pakistan's batsmen come off sporting a similar countenance.

ENGLAND (from) M A Atherton (Lancashire, capt), N V Knight (Warwickshire), A J Stewart (Surrey, wkt), G P Thorpe (Surrey), M P Maynard (Glamorgan), G D Lloyd (Lancashire), R C Irani (Essex), A J Hollioake (Surrey), R D B Croft (Glamorgan), D Gough (Yorkshire), D W Headley (Kent), P J Martin (Lancashire), A D Mullally (Leicestershire).

PAKISTAN (from) Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Salim Malik, Asif Mujtaba, Wasim Akram (capt), Moin Khan (wkt), Mushtaq Ahmed, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Ata-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Akram.