Andrew Strauss has warned the lack of a domestic 50-over competition would not help his side's chances at the 2011 World Cup.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced last month that the Friends Provident trophy will cease to exist from next season, with the Pro 40 and an expanded Twenty20 Cup the only limited over county competitions.

The World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in South Africa later this month, are both 50-over competitions.

England tackle Australia later on Friday in the first of seven one-dayers and Strauss questioned why the county season cannot mirror the international game.

"My personal view is that domestic cricket should mirror international cricket so in that respect playing 40-over cricket is not ideal," said Strauss.

"Forty over cricket is not radically different from 50-over cricket but it just seems sensible to me that if your domestic season is a way of preparing players for international cricket you should be playing the same game."

England head into the one-day series buoyed by the Ashes triumph and Strauss urged his men to use that success as inspiration as they look to build consistency into their one-day cricket.

"When we have been good we have won our games but we have see-sawed between very good and very bad and that is something we need to address," said Strauss.

"There is a great feeling in the camp. There is a real excitement about what those of us in the Test series achieved and from those who are coming in having watched it.

"We now have an extended period of one-day cricket to immerse ourselves in and we can use the feelgood factor from the Ashes to help propel us."

Strauss is set to open the batting with Ravi Bopara today after Joe Denly was injured in a game of football during Thursday's pre-training warm-up.

Bopara has struggled for form at international level since scoring back-to-back Test hundreds against the West Indies early in the summer.

"Ravi has played some very good cricket for England this summer, both in the one-dayers and in Tests. He obviously had a tough time against Australia but it is important to keep things in perspective," said Strauss.

"International cricketers go in and out of form. We are not robots. I think he will really benefit from being able to go out an express himself in the first 10 overs of a one-day game."