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McGrath - Good start vital

Image: McGrath: England need good start

Anthony McGrath thinks a good start to England's Caribbean tour will help reunite the team.

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Quick wins will help repair rift in squad

Former Test batsman Anthony McGrath believes that a good start to England's tour of the Caribbean is crucial if they are to put the recent turmoil behind them. New captain Andrew Strauss will lead England on the upcoming four-Test tour following the dramatic departure of both Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores. Strauss has said that one of his first jobs as captain will be to reunite the squad before the trip. McGrath says that a good first performance will take some of the attention away from the high-profile rift.

Ashes

"Once they get over there, the key is to get off to a good start, and if they can do that it will soon be forgotten. They will all be itching to get abroad and get away from it all," the Yorkshire captain said. "If they don't do too well early on, then what has happened will be brought back up again. "As players you just concentrate on your own game and some of them are trying to cement their place in the Ashes squad for the summer. "Hopefully it will have a positive effect and they can put in some really good performances, rather than worry about what has gone on in England."
Shambles
England are currently without a head coach just one week before they set off for the Caribbean and McGrath is not pleased with the state of affairs. "It has been disappointing to see as an England follower and an England fan," he added. "It came out of the blue to me, it is difficult to comment when you don't know what's gone on, but the way it has come across in the media has made it look like a bit of a shambles. "In an Ashes year you want stability at the top so it can filter through to the players. "Unfortunately that's not happened and we could do with a permanent solution sooner rather than later."

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