Paul Collingwood managed to sound a shade cautious in revealing that England have been told to be brave when they open the World Twenty20 at Lord's on Friday. A downbeat tone may have had something to do with the fact that England are yet to win a leading one-day tournament and failed alarmingly at the inaugural 20-over event in 2007.

On that occasion, Collingwood thought that the squad handed to him by the selectors included so many specialist players that spirit forged during a seven-match one-day series against India over previous weeks had been lost. But he denied that another rejigged party could struggle for similar reasons this time.

Collingwood, having driven down from practice at Loughborough, was the tenth of 11 captains paraded before the media yesterday. He was unlucky to follow Kumar Sangakkara, the trainee lawyer and Sri Lanka captain, who spoke with a presence and command on matters of state that would have held a courtroom, let alone a press conference.

England gathered on Saturday, when those who were not part of the recent win against West Indies - Graham Napier, James Foster, Robert Key, Luke Wright and Adil Rashid - were integrated into the fold. Kevin Pietersen has also returned after his Achilles injury, but is yet to play a full part in training.

Collingwood tried to assuage doubts, saying that his leading batsman, who batted and fielded yesterday but opted out of fitness drills, will “play a major part in all of the games” and was “pretty much 100 per cent fit”.

Pietersen is due to talk about his fitness at lunchtime today, and his captain revealed that he “is raring to go, so I am letting him go”.

“We have to be brave,” Collingwood added. “I want everybody to see this as a major opportunity and it is crucial to think we can win it.”

He wants the so-called specialists to do no more than reproduce county form. “I expect them to behave and perform in the same manner that they usually do and that way they will fit in really well,” he said. “We want to keep the team ethos that has been the driving force these past few months.

“We tried to play with freedom in 2007, the difference is that now we have players in crucial positions who have gained a lot of experience and are generally better players now. Ravi Bopara will be crucial at the top of the order, Stuart Broad has developed as a bowler and then there is James Anderson, so we have the armoury.”

India are strong favourites despite an away record that, while improving, is still less than formidable. However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain, does not expect conditions to be a huge factor. He said: “The organisers want really exciting cricket so I think it will be flat tracks, not the ball swinging and seaming around.”

At three hours, 40 minutes from the first question to Daniel Vettori to the last to Graeme Smith, the session lasted longer than a Twenty20 game. Question fatigue set in before Smith was asked whether he felt cricket fatigue, and lighter moments came as an oasis in the desert.

Chris Gayle delivered the best line when he fielded an inquiry about what West Indies had been doing since Edgbaston last Tuesday. “Personally or collectively?” he replied with a grin. Younus Khan (Pakistan) was the jolliest, Collingwood the driest, Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh) the briefest and Dhoni the focus of most cameras.

William Porterfield, of Ireland, struck an early note of grace in wishing Eoin Morgan all the best, no matter that his best batsman has crossed to England, while Jeroen Smits, of the Netherlands, combined defiance with humour on being asked whether his side will be intimidated by England on Friday. “No, we are Dutch,” he said.

Ricky Ponting was the only absentee. The Australia captain has been cleared after being struck on the wrist in the nets on Saturday and should be fit for the warm-up against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge today. Biggest losers were South Africa, forced to switch to Lord's after finding practice facilities at Southgate “not too great”.