Fletcher doubts England will tinker with batting order

England coach Duncan Fletcher does not believe a change in the batting order will help his side improve their performance in the World Cup Super Eights match against South Africa on Tuesday.

England, whose top order has failed to fire in the tournament so far, must beat the South Africans to maintain a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.

''It's crucial at this stage we don't tinker too much. We appreciate it is a very, very important game. To get it right is going to be a difficult call,'' Fletcher told reporters at the team hotel today.

Andrew Flintoff has especially struggled with the bat and the idea of him opening the innings has been discussed. Fletcher said there was flexibility in the order if the top three make a platform but that asking Flintoff to bowl 10 overs and then bat was unrealistic.

''We've looked at doing that but it is a huge change in the side.

It's asking a lot of a player,'' he said. ''The first part hasn't gone quite right at the moment but there is some flexibility.'' Captain Michael Vaughan has been as out of form as Flintoff but Fletcher is not overly worried.

''Both of them at times have looked as though they are regaining form. Vaughan is batting well, he is hitting the ball as well as ever in the nets. He just needs to go in there and not put pressure on himself,'' the coach said.

EXTRA MOTIVATED Kevin Pietersen is the only England batsman to score a century in the tournament and Fletcher said the South African-born batsman would be extra motivated to play well against Graeme Smith's side.

When Pietersen first toured South Africa with England in 2005 the crowds subjected him to constant abuse but he hit three hundreds to silence them.

''When he plays them he is really motivated which is a positive for us. South Africa motivates him just as much as Australia, probably more than Australia. I hope it drives him to put on one of those batting performances,'' Fletcher said.

The South Africans are favourites for Tuesday's match in Barbados but also showed their patchy form by losing to outsiders Bangladesh earlier in the tournament.

''The biggest threat is their batting depth. You are never really going to win comfortably against them the way they bat. But they haven't got that spinner which can be their downfall to some degree,'' Fletcher added.

REUTERS PDS PM0013

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