England first-choice bowlers need to gel as team prior to Ashes: Fletcher

London, June 9(ANI): Former England coach Duncan Fletcher has said that his successor Andy Flower and skipper Andy Strauss urgently need to work out on how they intend to combine a strong bowling unit ahead of the Ashes series Down Under.

"The only area of concern is on the bowling side and they don't seem to have settled on that yet," The Mirror quoted Fletcher, as saying.

"I think it is important going through this summer that the five bowlers - because I would choose five - or four bowlers they want, need to get settled," he added.

Fletcher, who is currently working as a consultant with Hampshire, further believes that it is time to give the first-choice bowlers in the squad to gel as a unit.

He said that fast bowler Steven Finn, James Anderson and Stuart Broad and off-spinner Graeme Swann must play together against Pakistan to develop understanding, which would help them in the Ashes series starting on November 25. (ANI)