Pollock: England showed us the way 

The World XI will use similar tactics to those employed by England this year when they play world champions Australia in three one-day matches next week, captain Shaun Pollock said on Friday.

England wrapped up a 2-1 Ashes victory over a heavily favoured Australian side to give the hosts their first win in the series since 1986-87.

Australia's batting lineup was thwarted by England's imaginative tactics which included asking Andrew Flintoff to bowl around the wicket at the dangerous Adam Gilchrist.

Pollock said his side would use television footage from the series to devise similar tactics while he would also count on Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen to reproduce the form they showed in the Ashes.

"Having beaten Australia recently they must be feeling pretty confident and they are superstars in their own right, they really performed well in that series," Pollock told reporters in Melbourne. "We're looking for big performances from them as well.

"I know Freddie (Flintoff) was Michael Vaughan's man to turn to and I can pretty much see myself turning to him at many opportunities to make an impact myself."

Pollock added that there would be little problem motivating his side.

"It's an honour to be selected in a World XI," he said.

"It's not too often that you get to come to Australia and walk away with a trophy and it's an ideal opportunity for some of the guys to experience that.

"We'll definitely be motivated to try to play well and win."

The World XI play a warmup game on Sunday against Victoria before the first match of the series indoors at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium on October 5.

Meanwhile, Australian cricket fans can expect a bumper postbag from English friends and family over the next month after Britain's Royal Mail unveiled designs for a range of stamps celebrating England's Ashes series victory.

Images of Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and England colleagues will appear on four stamps to mark the "momentous occasion" of regaining the Ashes from Australia - two first class domestic stamps and two for letters to be sent overseas.

The English cricketers will be the first living people outside the Royal Family to have their likenesses clearly identifiable on British stamps.

England's cricketers defeated Australia 2-1 over the northern summer, the first time they had won an Ashes series since 1987.