Strauss looks to hit ground running on return to captaincy

ANDREW Strauss accepts it will take all this year and part of next before he can say for sure he was right to sit out two months of international cricket.

The England captain will return to his job today, in the Lord's Test against Bangladesh, having seen first Alastair Cook and then Paul Collingwood lead his country in his absence on successful overseas tours.

Strauss and his employers decided mutually after a tough Test and one-day international campaign in South Africa that, with next winter's Ashes and World Cup in mind, it was a good idea to save him the extra rigours of touring Bangladesh in February and March.

The opening batsman therefore played no cricket until the start of the domestic season – and after a lean run, returned to form with the bat in the nick of time last week.

Fast bowler James Anderson, who aggravated a knee injury in South Africa, was the other player rested for the second half of the winter.

Strauss insists he has no regrets about the hiatus, but concedes vindication will not come quickly. "The tour (of Bangladesh) was a chance for a couple of us to be left out of the side, hoping we had enough strength to win the series – and that proved correct," he said.

"The question mark is can Jimmy and I hit the ground running and push on through the summer and beyond, but I'm in a really good place to do that. Jimmy is as well – fresh and raring to go. We hope we will see some benefits."

Neither player could wish for a better opportunity to re-establish credentials, against opponents England beat 2-0 in Bangladesh and who have won just three of their 66 Tests.

Only landslide victories will pacify England's critics, but Strauss is adamant there is danger in taking an improving team lightly. "You can't underestimate them," he said. "They've got some very dangerous players. This series, it's important we set standards very high.

"Sometimes if conditions aren't in our favour it'll be hard work. Other times, if they are in our favour, we hope we can put them under real pressure.

" Strauss will lead a team containing at least one debutant, Eoin Morgan on his home ground as an extra batsman more likely to get the nod ahead of Yorkshire pace bowler Ajmal Shahzad – who, at 24, claims to be making his first trip to London.

The challenge for the captain is to restate his own position and also help the new faces gel. He is confident he can do so but warns, whatever the personnel, England – who have not lost a Test series for more than a year – still have much to do.

"

We're still number five in the world in Test and ODI cricket, so it's not all about slapping each other's backs and telling everyone how brilliant it is.

There's huge room for improvement."