A Test series won - now for the one-dayers

The Test series victory here in Sri Lanka has given all of us, and hopefully all English cricket, a boost. It was hard work, as we expected it to be, but that only serves to enhance the sense of satisfaction from a job well done.

That part of the tour is now behind us. We had to say goodbye on Monday to those members of the Test party who have returned to England, including the captain, Nasser Hussain. We shall miss him for, in company with Duncan Fletcher, he has been so involved in everything that has happened to England these past few months.

Nasser said at the outset of this part of the tour that it was going to be twice as hard as Pakistan had been, and he was right, but it's ironic that he was the man who suffered a succession of injuries right at the end of the Test series. However, playing conditions are such that it is totally draining, physically as well as mentally. The heat and humidity is very demanding, as have been the type of matches we've played. They have been draining because they were so tight.

From my point of view as well, it was very demanding with a lot of spin bowling meaning that I had to stand up to the stumps for perhaps sixty to seventy per cent of the innings and then bat against spin with men all around the bat. It is all very, very hard and that is the reason why I would not want to captain the side in the one-dayers in Nasser's absence. If I'm going to open the batting and keep wicket and was then going to captain as well, I don't believe, in these conditions, I would be able to do all three jobs to the right standard.

Now Graham Thorpe, my Surrey teammate has his chance to lead the national side. It is a great honour for him and one he deserves for the way in which he has been batting. What we must guard against is any idea of allowing these one-day matches to become an anticlimax. I have to admit that Test cricket is still the most important form of the game for me, but having said that, we'll have had five days since winning the Test to focus our thoughts.

We have also welcomed the new players who have come specifically for the one-day matches, to say nothing of a new captain, so it will still be very important. It was great to win the Test series, but it would also be nice to be able to take the one-day series as well. It will be a hard selection for Duncan Fletcher and Graham Thorpe to make. It will be difficult to fit everyone in, because we've got four seam bowlers in the top ten in the ratings for one-day cricket, and it is likely that only three of them will play at any one time, depending on the balance of the side.

It says quite a bit about the strength of the squad. However, Duncan has gone on record as saying that we want to look ahead to the World Cup, and this is all part of the process of getting a side together that will compete well in that. It is no coincidence, with that in mind, that Michael Vaughan has been added to the original party. Duncan believes that he has a big part to play in both styles of cricket. With the likes of Alan Mullally and Nick Knight returning from injury, there is the making of a very good one-day squad. Now we must go out and prove it.