Fletcher excited by new rules

Duncan Fletcher is excited by the prospect of the rule changes to one-day internationals, which will come into effect for the NatWest Challenge against Australia, starting at Headingley on Thursday.

The new format for fielding restrictions, which requires the fielding captain to chose when he used two blocks of five overs, and the introduction of a substitute during a match will give Fletcher plenty to think about during his planning.

Fletcher is renowned for his detailed preparation and attention to detail and has already been talking to Michael Vaughan about the new innovations. All of it is going to be interesting," Fletcher told the Press Association, "Selection is going to be very difficult and then once play gets going it's going to be very tricky - I believe that's going to make it interesting.

"The main variable was constant with the first 15 overs of fielding restrictions and no thinking had to take place aside from the captain moving a few fielders around, but now there are so many variables and then it becomes very complicated.

"It's going to be tricky and it's going to be some time before a pattern settles if it ever does settle. One day cricket has become predictable and somewhere along the line they had to make changes and this will make it pretty interesting."

The use of a substitute will mean extra consideration will have to be given to the players chosen for a match. England's NatWest Challenge squad includes Matt Prior and he would be the type of player who could be used as the replacement.

"We have got to take into consideration these new rules they are bringing into the game - it might have some effect, especially the 12th man thing," explained Fletcher. "It gets more and more complicated when you look at all the scenarios and that's what probably makes it so exciting - if there is going to be all these scenarios it will make the game a lot more interesting."