England appear to be over two late injury scares before the first Test against Pakistan and can at last begin the next stage of their mission to become one of the greatest teams in history.
No sooner had Andrew Strauss’ tourists learned that Stuart Broad’s bruised foot was nothing more serious and would not stop him playing at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium than another ’friendly fire’ injury was landed on a second key player.
Ian Bell had to leave nets on the eve of the three-Test series for an x-ray after one of batting coach Graham Gooch’s throw-downs had struck him a painful blow on the left wrist.
Thankfully it was soon confirmed there was no break, and Bell too is expected to be fit.
Broad and Bell’s anxious moments were nonetheless a diversion from the preferred script – as was Tim Bresnan’s failure to recover from elbow surgery which resulted in his departure from the tour within days of arrival and without bowling a ball in anger.
But Strauss, speaking before Bell’s drama, was not weighed down with injury setbacks.
Instead the England captain addressed the issue of continued self-improvement for his generation of world-beaters as well – of course – as the significance of a first high-profile meeting between his team and Pakistan since the spot-fixing scandal which wrecked their last Test series.
On the first point, it seems England will simply carry on leaving nothing to chance; on the second, they will do everything within their power to ensure the stink of 2010 is properly banished to the past – but without compromising their natural aggression on the pitch.
Strauss knows it was easy to drive his team-mates on in their quest to top the International Cricket Council Test rankings, famously achieved last summer.
But what to say now to keep the fire in their belly, and make sure true potential is reached?
“There’s no way to guarantee these things, but it’s about pushing people to go further and people being willing enough to improve,” said Strauss.
“We all know if you remain stagnant for any period of time, other teams will catch you and pass you.
“It’s very important for myself, (coach) Andy Flower and the side to keep pushing ourselves to get better and keep learning from every experience we have - keeping it in the locker and use it at a time we need it in the future.
“It’s all about desire, motivation and hunger. I’m confident we’ve got a lot of that.”
England have had plenty of time – since their last Test match, and Strauss’ last taste of international cricket, against India at The Oval five months ago - to reset their goals.
A year largely devoid of glamour – the Ashes must wait – but full of tough assignments starts here in the Middle East against another improving team and will conclude in India, historically one of England’s most barren territories.
There will be few accolades from the wider sporting world, for defending global superiority, but every chance of coming unstuck at some stage of such an unforgiving schedule.
Strauss, however, is confident England are up to it.
“There’s a lot of scope for improvement in our side, and I’ll be very disappointed if anyone sits back and thinks we’re the finished article – because we’re clearly not.
“Sub-continental cricket has not been an area English sides have done particularly well in.
“That’s an immediate hurdle we need to overcome.
“But we’re not focusing solely on sub-continental cricket, because we have a big summer as well.”
Back in the here and now, there is no hiding place.
“The first Test always sets the tone for the rest of the series, so the initial skirmishes are always important,” added Strauss.
“We’ve had a really good build-up; we’re pretty comfortable with what we think conditions will be like. But there’s always that element of the unknown when you haven’t played at a particular ground.”
Above all, Strauss will need his bowlers – two spinners or otherwise will be revealed only at the last minute – to be on their A game, in alien conditions.
“They’ve done well in England and Australia, so it’s a logical next step for them to say ’Right, let’s prove we can do it over here as well’.
“I’ve got every faith they can, because all of our bowlers throw different questions into the mix.”
As for those echoes of 2010 spot-fixing, which resulted in ICC bans and jail sentences for the three guilty Pakistani players, Strauss and his opposite number Misbah-ul-Haq appear to be of common mind.
“I think it’s about both teams recognising their responsibilities to play the game in the right way,” said the former.
“But any idea that it won’t be a competitive series is well wide of the mark.”
Misbah added: “I think we have left 2010 very far behind.
“The way this team is moving proves that we want to go forward and do not want to remember the past.”
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