England begin practice in Dubai (From Asian Image)

England begin practice in Dubai

12:13pm Wednesday 4th January 2012 in Sport

England were minus only Alastair Cook for their first net practice in Dubai as they prepare to take on Pakistan in all three formats.

The opener is set to join his colleagues on Thursday following time off for his wedding. England begin their warm-up programme with a three-day match against an ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI, captained by Ireland's Will Porterfield, this weekend.

Batsman Ian Bell was delighted to be back at work at the International Cricket Council's global academy. He said: "It's nice to have had a break. But a month or two into it, you're itching to get back in the nets and practise. We're lucky to be able to use these facilities in preparation for a Test series - it is exactly what you need."

He added: "We're going to really enjoy the next week of preparation, and getting ready."

England know they will face a stern examination of their new-found number one Test status against Pakistan.

Bell said: "Pakistan have been playing some really good cricket, and obviously know these grounds pretty well - having played here for a while now. It's going to be a tough series, and we've got to prepare really well for the next week and make sure we're ready to go for this next Test match."