Miller highlights injuries

Geoff Miller during his England days playing against Australia

New England national selector Geoff Miller thinks there have been mitigating circumstances that have contributed to the side’s recent indifferent Test form but he is determined to see them through a challenging period.

Since the glorious summer of 2005 they have lost their last two series against India and Sri Lanka and have gone down to a heavy defeat in Australia.

Miller, whose appointment as the new, national selector ended David Graveney’s 11-year reign as chairman of selectors, admitted the national team’s fortunes had dipped since the Ashes were regained but argued that over the past decade the plusses outnumbered the minuses.

He said: “There have been contributing factors. We have had injuries, we have to accept that, and there has been a change of personnel.

“We are in a transitional period now in both kinds of cricket but the curve from 2000 has been pretty good.

“It has been an upward curve. We have taken a couple of backward steps but I don’t see, with the experience and the quality we have in the side and the excitement of the youngsters we have got coming forward, why we can’t get back on an even keel again.”

Ashley Giles will sit on England's selection panel

England will get another chance to wrest back the Ashes in the summer of 2009 but in the meantime can warm up with series against New Zealand, starting next month in the southern hemisphere.

Miller added: “We have got to win matches and series to get some momentum back again. There is lots of excitement round the corner.”

The former England and Derbyshire spin bowler, who heads a four-man selection committee that also comprises head coach Peter Moores and part-timers Ashley Giles and James Whitaker, will continue with his other job, that of after-dinner speaker on the sporting circuit.

He said: “It is part of my life and part of me. I have always been a person who likes to entertain.”

Would England also be required to entertain under the new regime? Only if that meant they were also getting results, Miller insisted.

He added: “The job for the England cricket team is to win matches in all kinds of cricket.

“If we can entertain as well - and we have some entertainers in that side - then all well and good.”