Steven Finn aims to reinvigorate England

A 50-over warm-up match against England Lions at the Zayed Stadium is designed to help fine-tune preparations to take on Pakistan again in four one-day internationals and then three Twenty20s.

But it is also a mid-tour watershed in which England welcome new faces such as Jos Buttler and Danny Briggs, from the Lions' tour of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and try to put their Test drubbing behind them.

Steven Finn will be returning to the venue where he first significantly impressed the England management by taking two for 25 in four overs as the Lions beat the first string in a tight Twenty20 two years ago.

He could do with another eye-catching performance as he seeks to build on his personal gains, in an otherwise shambolic 5-0 ODI defeat in India last autumn, and restate his claims in all formats - having been surplus to requirements in the Test debacle against Pakistan over the last three weeks.

The 6ft 8in fast bowler is optimistic that he and others can have the desired effect, of reinvigorating England.

"I think this one-day team is a very youthful, very exciting place to be," he said.

"The guys coming in, the fresh faces, are going to be very enthusiastic to show what they can do.

"They're very skilled players as well, so they're going to be up the other guys' backsides to try to knock them out of the team.

"I think this one-day series is going to be a great opportunity for us to put what's gone, under the carpet.

"We're looking to approach this with a freeness, with open eyes, and we hope that will serve us well."

Finn's own agenda is to demonstrate not just that he is a worthy limited-overs inclusion but that he should also soon be adding to his 12 Test caps.

"Test cricket is obviously where I want to be playing. Test cricket is the ultimate test of any cricketer.

"But to play cricket for your country - whether it be one-day, Twenty20 or Test - is a great honour, and it's not to be sniffed at.

"One-day cricket is something I enjoy playing, and a format where you have to develop skills as you play more.

"You develop skills to be able to survive at international level. If I'm selected, I hope I can go well - as I did in India."

Meanwhile, England's first practice since their Test disappointments, at the Zayed Stadium today, will include Monty Panesar.

The slow left-armer is not part of the limited-overs squads but has been retained for the next week as a net bowler, to help England prepare to face the Pakistan spinners again - having struggled so badly against them here to date.