Strauss demands positive approach

Andrew Strauss has challenged England to go out and "play positive cricket" as they make another attempt to claim their first victory of the winter in today's opening one-day international.

The tourists have played 13 international matches without success this winter, the most recent being their emphatic six-wicket Twenty20 defeat by West Indies in Trinidad on Sunday.

Strauss, who has overcome a hamstring injury to lead the team in his first one-day international for two years, said: "Generally, we have to play very positive cricket. You can't hope to live in international one-day cricket these days by playing a very conservative game - I don't think that works."

He added: "At the same time, you have to have a caveat in place that the players have to assess the conditions. In some conditions, going out and smashing the ball everywhere is not the right thing to do.

"Even the Indians and the most aggressive teams in the world sometimes rein it back when the conditions don't allow them to go out hard.

"It is about cricketers having the ability to think on their feet and react well to the conditions, and that's more crucial than any game plan you might have."