Six-match one-day series too taxing: Fletcher

England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher on Saturday said a six-match one-day series, like the ongoing one against India, is too taxing for the players.

"Six matches are too many, especially when we have an important tour of New Zealand soon after the current tour of India, Fletcher told reporters in Mumbai.

"It is too taxing on the players, with all the travel one has to do in a vast country like India," he added.

Fletcher said he is confident of his team winning the sixth and final one-dayer on Sunday and levelling the series against India.

"We came here as an inexperienced team but did well to draw the last two Test matches after losing the first. Even in the one-day series, we were trailing 1-3 and did well to win the Delhi tie. Hence a win here would be moral victory for the whole team," Fletcher said.

He added: "I feel the tour of India will definitely benefit the youngsters in the side. Raw and young guys have come here and we are trying to make a winning side out of them. For that we will have to put the puzzle together and form a picture."

Fletcher said he does not mind his team being labelled "underdogs", because whenever they were called so they did well.

"We were underdogs against Zimbabwe and the West Indies and we did well. Again we were underdogs on the tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka and did very well there too and I hope we will do well here as well," Fletcher added.

Mail Cricket Editor