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{ Opening move: Andrew Strauss is presented to the crowd aat the opening ceremony of the World Cup Photo: GETTY IMAGES

England, thrashed 6-1 in the recent one-day international series in Australia, narrowly avoided being embarrassed by minnows Canada on Wednesday, when they laboured to a 17-run win in Dhaka.

England play a final warm-up match against Pakistan in Dhaka on Thursday before transferring to India where they face Holland, who stunned them in the World Twenty20 opener at Lord’s two years ago, in their first World Cup match.

Strauss was one of the batsmen dismissed cheaply in the Canada match as England struggled to adapt from quicker, bouncy pitches in Australia to the slower surfaces on the subcontinent.

“We only arrived here a couple of days ago and the conditions are clearly very different to what we experienced in Australia, so the key for us is making our adjustments,” Strauss said. “It is important we improve quickly.”

England have been runners-up in the World Cup three times, but failed to make it beyond the Super Eight stage in 2007.

Memories of the defeat by Holland at Lord’s in the 2009 World Twenty20 are still reasonably fresh in the memory and Strauss has warned his players that there will be no easy matches in the World Cup.

“There is going to be no easy fixture in this tournament and that bodes pretty well for the success of it as a whole,” he said.

The 14-nation tournament opens tomorrow with a match in Dhaka between co-hosts Bangladesh and India. The final is in Mumbai on April 2.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann will be available to play against Holland having delayed his arrival to await the birth of his first child, a son called Wilfred, who was born on Thursday.

Swann was always expected to miss England’s warm-up games but he will fly to India at the weekend after his wife, Sarah, gave birth.

“This is an incredibly special day for us, and we are both absolutely delighted and very proud parents,” Swann said.

“Both Sarah and Wilfred are doing very well, and I am looking forward to enjoying the next couple of days with them both before I fly out to join the team for the World Cup.”

The birth completed a busy 24 hours for Swann, who was found not guilty of a drink-driving charge on Wednesday after a long-running court case.

Strauss and the rest of the England team attended the opening ceremony at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. The highlight of the two-hour spectacle was an aerial cricket match, where high-flying acrobats hit and chased after a laser-beamed ball against a vertical backdrop of a playing pitch.

Indian singer Sonu Nigam and Bangladesh-based Runa Laila, as well as veteran Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, were the headline acts in front of a crowd of 25,000.

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Labels: Andrew, approach, change, Cricket, England, rapid, Strauss, Telegraphcouk, wants, World

{ Llorente: Claims Liverpool interest

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Fernando Llorente claims Liverpool approached Athletic Bilbao regarding a potential deal for the striker before the transfer deadline.

Liverpool enjoyed a frenzied close to the January transfer window by bringing in Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez for big fees after selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50million.

Attacking reinforcements had been a priority for Reds boss Kenny Dalglish last month and Llorente was another player to be linked with a move to Anfield.

The Spain international claims Liverpool did make contact about a potential deal, but revealed Bilbao were in no mood to sell.

"Liverpool came to Bilbao and spoke with the club, but it was obvious that they weren't going to sell me," Llorente said on Radio Marca.

"I understand that the fans don't like it when I say I am going to leave, but it is a sign that I am doing well.

"For the moment, my future is here at Bilbao and I am going to give my all."

The Reds' Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur were also reported to have made a bid for Llorente, who has a 36million euros (£30.4m) buy-out clause in his contract.

Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are also tracking the 26-year-old following his impressive form in recent seasons.

Llorente added: "There are people willing to pay 36m euros for my clause. Football is like that. It is crazy."

Though the forward has not openly declared where he would prefer to go, he admits he was a Barcelona fan as a child and was a huge admirer of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' of the early 1990s.

He continued: "I am not going to lie. I grew up watching the Dream Team of Cruyff and I liked Laudrup, Romario, Stoichkov and Ronaldo.

"When you are young, you usually follow the team that wins and that was Barcelona."

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Labels: approach, claims, Llorente, SkySports