England Cricket Trio Gear-Up for First Test

England Test cricketers Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan were living life in the fast lane today when they joined ex-Formula One driver Martin Brundle at the Jaguar test track in Gaydon to put the new Jaguar XJ through its paces.

Strauss, Cook and Morgan, who begin a four-Test series against Pakistan at Trent Bridge next week, were given the opportunity to put their feet to the floor of a new Jaguar XJ as part of an event organised by new Team England partner Jaguar. The cricketers also received some driving tips from former British racing driver, Martin Brundle, and three professional driving instructors, who were trackside to teach the players about the high performance capabilities of Jaguar’s newest addition to its revitalized line-up.

England captain, Andrew Strauss, commented:

“Taking the cars out today has been great fun and it was really useful to pick up a few tips from Martin and the boys. Professional cricketers do a lot of driving during the summer going from venue to venue, so after a hard day play it’s very reassuring to jump into a car as comfortable as the Jaguar XJ. It’s got everything I need: superb performance, a luxury interior, sleek design and with all that boot space, I can fit my cricket bag in without any problems too!”

Geoff Cousins, Jaguar UK managing director, said:

“It’s great to see Andrew, Eoin and Alastair enjoying themselves in the Jaguar XJs today. Consistently breathtaking performance is a distinctive quality of both a Jaguar XJ and the current England cricket team, which makes our new partnership such a great fit for the Jaguar brand.”

Earlier this year Jaguar became the Official Vehicle Supplier of the England Cricket Team. The four year partnership sees England’s centrally contracted cricketers drive Jaguar’s XJ, XF and XF models. Jaguar has also formed a strategic partnership with the ECB’s National Performance Centre. The partnership forms part of the “Jaguar Academy of Sport” which aims to recognise, celebrate and inspire the very best of British sporting talent and success.