England are set to embark on a two-month trial of their one-day capabilities which should determine whether their new-look squad have what it takes to compete at the highest level in the next few years.

Captain Paul Collingwood enters his first major series with a squad who will remain largely unchanged - apart for the next eight weeks as they contest a seven-match NatWest one-day series against India, the ICC World Twenty20 tournament and a one-day series in Sri Lanka.

It is a schedule which spans three different countries, 12 one-day internationals and a number of Twenty20 internationals which is likely to provide England's selectors with a definitive view on several members of the squad as they build-up to next year's ICC Champions Trophy and the 2011 World Cup in Asia.

But Collingwood believes it is also a golden opportunity for this squad to grow together over the next two months and beyond and finally turn England into a competitive one-day force on the world stage.

He explained: ''When I took over before the West Indies series I said the approach was going to be one of the major things and when you talk about approach and intent these things get filtered in slowly.

''These aren't things that happen overnight and players can all of a sudden go out there and be world-beaters. These skills we are learning every day in practice and they gradually get filtered into the players.

''Hopefully this two-month period is the perfect time as a one-day side to keep improving and that's what we're looking to do. We realise we have to improve as a one-day side.''

England enter this series with only four nations - Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Kenya - below them in the ICC's one-day rankings having won only two of their last eight matches against top-class opposition.

Collingwood, part of Durham's cup winning side at the weekend, has been charged with the task of improving that dismal sequence and believes the next two months could be crucial to achieving his aim.

He continued: ''The good thing is that we're playing in all different conditions.

''It's not just playing normal one-day cricket because we're going to South Africa and playing Twenty20 cricket and we're going to Sri Lanka and play in completely different conditions against the spinners.

"We want to be a really close, tight-knit unit and learn a lot from it.''

He will be helped considerably by the return of Andrew Flintoff and Ravi Bopara, who both missed his maiden series against West Indies earlier this summer with injury, to help balance and strengthen the side.

Flintoff will be returned to his usual role at number four, allowing Collingwood to move to his favoured position at five having batted a place lower against West Indies.