LONDON, Aug 16: England spinner Graeme Swann says his teammates must not allow their impending ascension to the top spot in the world rankings to go to their heads as they seek to complete a 4-0 Test whitewash of India at The Oval this week. England will be confirmed as the best Test side in the world after the series but Swann believes the team must ensure they complete the job and see off the demoralised tourists.
He said: "It's a nice feeling (to take over the top ranking) - but it's not what we are focusing on.
"We said before the series it didn't matter if we got to number one in the world.
"It's about finishing the series well and that is what we are aiming to do at The Oval
"We want to do ourselves justice in the last game - we did that very well in the Ashes. Having retained them we gave our best performance of the series in Sydney in the last game and we are looking to emulate that here.
"It's the last Test match for a while and it's a good chance for us to sign off on a winning note.
"We have played some exceptional cricket in the last 18-24 months and it would be a shame if we ruined it all by cruising through this game so let's make it a really good five days and see what happens.
Meanwhile, Warwickshire County Cricket Club, which hosted the England-India Test that ended on Saturday with the home side crowned the world's best, has incurred a 29 million pound debt to retain its international status but has no regrets about the “risk”.
A new four-floor stand at the Edgbaston pavilion end that has increased capacity by 25 per cent to 25,000 -- making the ground the second-largest cricket venue in England behind Lord's-should ensure many more international games in Birmingham despite the financial burden.
The significant investment mirrors similar radical steps taken by other English cricket grounds such as Headingley in Leeds and Old Trafford in Manchester, as they stake their futures on remaining as major match hosts.
“A number of us were in a difficult position three years ago when existing staging agreements were coming to an end and there was a real threat that we would not get any more test matches unless we delivered top-class facilities,” Warwickshire's chief executive Colin Povey said.
He said: "It's a nice feeling (to take over the top ranking) - but it's not what we are focusing on.
"We said before the series it didn't matter if we got to number one in the world.
"It's about finishing the series well and that is what we are aiming to do at The Oval
"We want to do ourselves justice in the last game - we did that very well in the Ashes. Having retained them we gave our best performance of the series in Sydney in the last game and we are looking to emulate that here.
"It's the last Test match for a while and it's a good chance for us to sign off on a winning note.
"We have played some exceptional cricket in the last 18-24 months and it would be a shame if we ruined it all by cruising through this game so let's make it a really good five days and see what happens.
Meanwhile, Warwickshire County Cricket Club, which hosted the England-India Test that ended on Saturday with the home side crowned the world's best, has incurred a 29 million pound debt to retain its international status but has no regrets about the “risk”.
A new four-floor stand at the Edgbaston pavilion end that has increased capacity by 25 per cent to 25,000 -- making the ground the second-largest cricket venue in England behind Lord's-should ensure many more international games in Birmingham despite the financial burden.
The significant investment mirrors similar radical steps taken by other English cricket grounds such as Headingley in Leeds and Old Trafford in Manchester, as they stake their futures on remaining as major match hosts.
“A number of us were in a difficult position three years ago when existing staging agreements were coming to an end and there was a real threat that we would not get any more test matches unless we delivered top-class facilities,” Warwickshire's chief executive Colin Povey said.
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