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We will win Ashes: Gilchrist

Source: FOX Sports - June 28, 2005

Nothing will distract the Australian cricketers from their bid to win a ninth consecutive Ashes series.

So says vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who believes the side's ability to overcome adversity will again stand it in good stead.

Australia has a strong record of blocking out distractions, most famously when it remained undefeated through the 2003 World Cup despite Shane Warne's positive test to a drug sample.

The team has already overcome a four-game losing streak and the Andrew Symonds drinking drama, and is preparing to do the same with Warne's marriage breakdown.

"There's obviously well documented issues around, but I can't remember any time were we've walked from a result and said 'That was because the build-up was affected by this, that or the other,"' Gilchrist said.

"And that's been on a number of big issues over a few years."

Gilchrist predicted the Australian bowlers would rise to the occasion when it really mattered, despite struggling early in the tour.

Australia plays England in a one-day match at Edgbaston today, but its crunch games are still on the horizon: Saturday's tri-series final and the five Test matches.

"This bowling group, I've seen other times when they've been questioned as individuals coming back from injury or lay-offs or as a group, but when the big games come up they always seem to turn up well," Gilchrist said.

"So it looks like it's shaping that way again and they're working hard and we're addressing the things that we've let ourselves down."

Aside from England's collective improvement, the other hurdle Australia must clear will be adapting to revamped one-day fielding restrictions.

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) attempt to spice up the 50-over game includes increasing fielding restrictions from 15 to 20 overs and the introduction of soccer-style substitutions.

The changes will be trialled over the next 10 months.

Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board are today expected to agree to trialling the innovations during the three-game series next month, at Headingley (July 7), Lord's (July 10) and The Oval (July 12).

Gilchrist said while not all of the Australian players were across the changes, the innovations would create a more tactical style of limited-overs cricket and possibly threaten the role of the all-rounder.

The star one-day opener believed all-rounders could become the first players substituted, as captains would opt for either specialist batsmen or bowlers when making team changes during a game.

Gilchrist said the new laws on fielding restrictions, where captains could only have two men outside the 30-yard circle for the first 10 overs of an innings but choose when to apply two five-over blocks of restrictions, would add an intriguing element to the game for spectators.

"That will be one of the positives to come out of it ... it will keep people really interested and bring a more traditional, tactical nous of cricket to the one-day game.

"Traditional cricket is about out-thinking your opponent and (making) subtle field changes and bowling changes."

Gilchrist said the ICC was on the right track provided it sought feedback from players after the trial period.

- ADAM COOPER