After their lengthy break from the international circuit, England's Test squad arrived in Dubai at the beginning of a year that will play a big role in determining the legacy that this generation of players leaves behind. Last year's Ashes victory in Australia and the rise to No. 1 means this group has already carved their niche in history, but facing them in 2012 are contests that will determine how universally acclaimed they become.
Next summer's home series against West Indies and South Africa are sandwiched between away campaigns in the UAE and the subcontinent that will push the skills of this England team to their limits. Conditions that they are likely to encounter in the Middle East, Sri Lanka and India will require a new set of skills from batsmen and bowlers, and will also push Andrew Strauss as a captain.
Victories in such an environment have been rare since Nasser Hussain's triumphant tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2000-01. England have twice secured series wins in Bangladesh, but since Hussain's successes the Johnny Cash-inspired series-levelling victory in Mumbai in 2006 has been the highpoint for them in the subcontinent.
"England cricket teams' record in the sub-continent has been patchy," Andrew Strauss, the England Test captain, said. "I think it's a really good time for us to have a lot of subcontinent cricket because we are confident; we've done well over the last two years or so and this is a kind of new frontier for us - to win and hopefully win consistently in the sub-continent.
"We are aware it's a stiff challenge and we are also aware you need to have very different types of skills if you want to do well out there. You've got to be very fit and it comes at a good time. It's just what we need as a side but we are not underestimating the size of the challenge."
During England's climb up the world rankings, which began following their series defeat in the West Indies in early 2009, they have only played one Test series in the subcontinent, when they beat Bangladesh 2-0 in 2010. During Australia's era-long stay as the No. 1 Test side they achieved series victories in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and, finally, India to confirm their standing. That is the task now facing England.
"If you want to be regarded all around the world as the best side in the world, then you've got to win in all conditions," Strauss said. "But the rankings are there for a reason. To get to No. 1 you've got to win consistently. It doesn't mean you've got to win every series, but you've got to win consistently. I'm very keen to move away from the rankings. I don't think that's something we need to focus on hugely at the moment. We are very conscious of concentrating on these short-term goals.
"It would be wrong for us not to see these tours to the subcontinent as a way of us pushing ourselves forward as a group. I think that's a pretty exciting thing to be able to do. Long-term goals are pretty irrelevant unless you can achieve your short-term goals. In some ways these challenges that await us in the next 12 months are more demanding. We are not at home, we are in subcontinent conditions and we need to develop new skills quickly."
Strauss, himself, faces an important year because while England beat all before them in 2011 his own form was patchy. He did not make a Test hundred - his previous three-figure score was 110 at Brisbane in November 2010 - and averaged 28.72 across eight matches. While the team continues to win consistently he won't be in danger, but Strauss is reaching the stage of his career when he does not want a prolonged lean spell. He went on a pre-Christmas training camp to India but has not played for England since August or competitively since finishing the County Championship season in mid-September.
"Last summer I probably didn't play quite as well as I'd have liked to," he said. "But form ebbs and flows a bit in Test cricket. I'm very keen to perform well and lead from the front. You can analyse these things to death; the truth is I've had a really good break, I'm healthy and I'm motivated. I had a really good training camp in India as well and hopefully that's a pretty good recipe to play well."
