Tredwell: Consistency is key ahead of WC

England spinner James Tredwell feels the team is on the right track in the lead-up to the World Cup in the Antipodes early next year, as long as they start putting together consistent winning performances.

England spinner James Tredwell feels the team is on the right track in the lead-up to the World Cup in the Antipodes early next year, as long as they start putting together consistent winning performances.

England lead the ODI series against Sri Lanka two-one with two to play, with consistency certainly not something associated with the team in the first three games, swinging wildly from a big defeat to a big win.

But the spinner is confident that the changes being made by Alastair Cook, Peter Moores and company are going to prove fruitful in the long run, as long as they can repeat winning efforts in the next 10 months.

Tredwell said: "Obviously what's gone before, we've tried to take some positives and negatives and learn from them, and thankfully we did turn it around at Old Trafford which was great to see. We want to produce that brand of cricket time and time again. That's the focus.

"There's not a great deal of time before the World Cup, which obviously we're all looking forward to in 20-odd games. Like I say, we want to be trying, win or lose, to do things right and do things that will stand you in good stead going forward into that tournament.

"As a group, we are looking towards that tournament, but along the way we have sort of mini-tournaments to combat as we go and similar things will help us win those, as they will in Australia and New Zealand. There's obviously that goal at the back of our minds but we know we have hurdles along the way.

"Like anything new you try, you want to get off to a good start, don't you. We've done some good things along the way, and to get over the line in this game and to get off to a good start with this series will be huge for this group. It will justify the sorts of things we're trying to do within it.

"Equally, if it doesn't go that way, we're still trying to go about things the right way and trying things day in and day out. Sport can go your way or it can't, but as long as we're honest about it then we'll come out of it on an upward curve."

As for his own future, Tredwell has been dealt a bit of a blow in being dropped from the Kent four-day side due to poor form, though he feels that has much to do with prolonged time with the ODI team and a tough time in switching formats.

He said: "There are obviously different skill sets for the different types of games and that's where I've struggled a little bit. The challenges I've had in one-day cricket over the last six months, times in the sub-continent where you'd bowl a bit more round arm and throw it into the wicket a bit more, now perhaps I need to go a bit more over the top.

"That's where I've slipped a bit in terms of technique and coming back into the four day game it's tough to switch from one to the other. But you have to fully immerse yourself and perform as well as you can for your country, so being able to flip from one to the other I've found particularly difficult."

Despite being out of the Kent four-day side, Tredders is still confident he can make a name for himself in the Test team, given his exposure to the right people and being the front-runner to replace Graeme Swann.

He said: "I guess I'm the guy that's in front of the coaches and Cooky day in and day out, and hopefully the way I go about it, and the things I do in training and in the matches, keep my name out there.

"I guess it's not ideal that I haven't been playing four day cricket, but like I say, I'm in front of them day in and day out and hopefully that stands me in decent stead."

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