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Plunkett hoping for iPod edge

Liam Plunkett, the England fast bowler, hopes the use of modern technology can help his team-mates prepare for their World Cup opener against New Zealand on March 16 in St. Lucia

Cricinfo staff
14-Mar-2007


Liam Plunkett hopes the use of technology can lift England © Getty Images
Liam Plunkett, the England fast bowler, hopes the use of modern technology can help his team-mates prepare for their World Cup opener against New Zealand on March 16 in St. Lucia. Mark Garraway, England's team analyst, has ensured footage of practice and matches, including that of opponents, were transferred onto players' iPods and games consoles, a decision fully endorsed by Plunkett.
"When we are batting I can go on the computer and have a look at the wickets I've taken and the way I've bowled," he said. "The good thing about Mark Garraway is that he's put a lot of the video footage onto our iPods and our games consoles."
Plunkett said the technology was beneficial for batsmen and bowlers alike, but that not everyone would need the boost of watching themselves play. "That's obviously a good thing before you go in for a bat and you want a confidence boost," he said. "KP [Kevin Pietersen] might want to have a look at himself scoring a hundred or a fifty to give him that bit of confidence, not that he needs it."
"If Belly [Ian Bell] wants to have a look at how [Daniel[ Vettori grips the ball or how Shane Bond is running in or mixing his slower balls up, he can do that."
While players from all leading teams have long been able to sit at a computer and study footage, Plunkett said the iPod transfer had "only happened in the last week".
New Zealand aside, England will play Canada and Kenya in Group C, but Plunkett chose to focus on what he termed "a massive game". "It will set the standard for the way we play in the rest of the tournament. We beat them and been through lots of plans against them so we know what each player does. They've got two good spinners who will play a massive part [Vettori and Jeetan Patel] and Shane Bond bowls plenty of slow balls so he'll be useful on these wickets." The winner of the England-New Zealand match will carry two points through to the Super Eights.
England are expected to rest at least one fast bowler from Plunkett, Sajid Mahmood, Jon Lewis and James Anderson for that game. "I finished well [in Australia] but Jimmy and Lewy bowled really well at the start of the one-day series," Plunkett said. "It's good for the team but I want to play every game, especially in a World Cup. We've been getting together and chatting about the wickets. It's been really valuable having people like Lewy around who has played county cricket for a long time and knows a lot about his game."