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England won't win Ashes unless 'terrible' catching improves, says Bayliss
England head coach Trevor Bayliss reckons his team cannot win the upcoming Ashes series unless their catching improves.
England dropped at least 14 chances in the three-Test series against West Indies which they won 2-1.
According to Bayliss, while some of those chances were far from straightforward, there were several that were "quite easy".
"The catching has been terrible, especially in the last couple of Tests. We're not going to go there (Australia) and win anything dropping that many," ESPNcricinfo quoted Bayliss as saying.
"We were catching quite well up until the last three Tests and some of the catches we dropped we were quite easy. Dropping easy catches is usually down to concentration," he added.
While England are yet to announce the final squad for their Ashes defence starting November 23 in Brisbane, coach Bayliss indicated they were unlikely to gamble on new faces.
"We are not 100 percent (sure) on who we want," Australian Bayliss said.
"But I am sure when we sit down in a week or two to discuss that squad from a batting point of view... batters that have played for us in the last 12-18 months.
"We are going there to win. We are not going to make up the numbers."
England will next meet West Indies in a Twenty20 and five one-day internationals starting on Saturday.
However, England captain Joe Root has backed his side to achieve "something special" at this year's Ashes in Australia after they registered a second consecutive Test series win at home with a three-day victory over West Indies.
A nine-wicket win in the third and final Test against West Indies sealed England's 2-1 victory under Root's leadership following a 3-1 triumph over South Africa.
"I'm happy with the way the whole group is shaping up. Guys have stepped up and taken their games forward," Root told the British media.
"There's plenty of challenges ahead but, with those, is a great opportunity. We shouldn't be afraid of going over there and, if we perform at our best, doing something really special."
Root was particularly impressed by the team's ability to dig deep following two second-Test defeats during both South Africa and West Indies series.
"There were two difficult weeks, but what is most pleasing is the resilience and character to come back from both of those with two extra strong performances."