Forget past form

Coach says disregard Aussies' recent edge vs. Pakistan

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Australia coach John Buchanan has played down the significance of his side's recent successes against Pakistan as the two teams prepare for their World Cup opener at The Wanderers on Tuesday.

After losing a three-match series of one-day internationals to Pakistan last June, Australia went unbeaten through a limited-overs series against Waqar Younis' side in Kenya and then won 3-0 in the test series that followed.

Those test victories included two by an innings, one of them inside two days, but despite those wins, Buchanan said there would be no complacency among his players in what is a re-run of the 1999 World Cup final, which Australia won by eight wickets.

"Yes, our record against them recently is good, but past or even current form counts for very little when you play Pakistan," Buchanan told Reuters on Sunday.

"They have one or two individuals who can turn it on with other players then feeding of them, and that can make them a formidable side."

Buchanan believes the Johannesburg showdown between the two sides could hold significance for the Super Six stage of the tournament which follows the group matches.

"If we can win this match and both sides qualify for the Super Sixes, then we will take the four points we would get through with us, so a win is pretty important," he said.

"The game is also a chance to see where we are at in terms of our preparations and, while I am hoping to win, it would also be nice to get a good hard game under our belts early in the tournament too," he added.

Pakistan coach Richard Pybus echoed Buchanan's thoughts when he said Australia's dominance in recent head-to-head matches meant little coming into the Group A encounter.

Strongest squad

"When we played them late last year, we were without Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Saeed Anwar and Wasim Akram, but now this is pretty much the strongest squad Pakistan can put out," said Pybus.

"Also the World Cup is unique and that can mean past form doesn't really count."

Both sides have injury problems, though, with Pakistan opener Anwar still to practice since sustaining a blow to his left elbow from a Shoaib Akhtar delivery in the nets last Tuesday.

Australia, already without suspended batsman Darren Lehmann who is serving the last match of a five-game ban, will also be monitoring the progress of fellow middle-order batsman Michael Bevan as he recovers from a torn groin muscle.

Ian Harvey, a very effective "bits-and-pieces" player, has a slight back strain, although it is not serious.

Another poser for both line-ups on Tuesday will be which bowlers should take the new ball.

Pakistan have four options in Shoaib, Wasim, Waqar and young fast bowler Mohammad Sami while Australia, with Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath both fit again, have to decide whether to retain Brett Lee as their opening bowler.

Lee was hugely impressive when spearheading Australia's attack in the recent triangular one-day series against England and Sri Lanka, ending up as the player of the series.

Bevan rules himself out of Cup opener

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Australia's Michael Bevan has ruled himself out of Tuesday's World Cup opener against Pakistan at The Wanderers.

The left-handed Bevan, who is recovering from a torn groin muscle suffered during the recent triangular series against England and Sri Lanka, took part in Australia's practice session at the venue on Sunday.

But afterwards he told Reuters he did not believe he was ready to return to action for the defending champions' opening match of Group A.

"I'm going okay but I think I'm going to be pipped for this match," he said. "It's just come a few days early.

"I'm about 80 percent right and I really needed to be 100 percent right today."

Without Bevan, and with fellow batsman Darren Lehmann serving the last match of his five-game ban, Jimmy Maher appears to be guaranteed to start on Tuesday.

Anwar still doubtful for World Cup opener

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Pakistan batsman Saeed Anwar is still uncertain to play in his side's World Cup opener against Australia on Tuesday after being struck on the left elbow by team mate Shoaib Akhtar last week.

Coach Richard Pybus said he was happy with the player's progress but added that Anwar, who is playing in his third World Cup, had not been able to practise since bruising his arm in the nets last Tuesday.

"He's coming along quite nicely but we will have to take things one day at a time," Pybus told Reuters on Sunday.

"It (the elbow) is getting better each day but it is badly bruised and there is swelling and we have to get that down first.

"We certainly won't be rushing him back until he is 100 percent fit."

Should the left-handed opening batsman be ruled out of The Wanderers Group A match, which is a re-run of the 1999 final, he is likely to be replaced by 21 year-old Taufeeq Umar.

The 34-year-old Anwar, holder of the world record one-day score of 194, has just been recalled to the team after a long spell in the wilderness in an attempt to bolster Pakistan's batting.

He has undergone knee and wrist surgery over the last year.

Australia tribunal clears Waugh of dissent

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -- Australia test captain Steve Waugh was reported for dissent on Sunday and later cleared of the charge after a 45-minute hearing by a disciplinary tribunal.

The 37-year-old Waugh, Australia's 1999 World Cup-winning captain, had lingered at the batting crease after he was caught at mid-wicket for four in an Australian interstate one-day match between New South Wales and Victoria.

Waugh, the New South Wales captain, said he felt David Hussey's diving low catch was doubtful.

"The fieldsman didn't at any stage say he was 100 per cent sure he'd caught it, so to me that suggested there was some doubt there," Waugh told reporters before the Australian Cricket Board hearing.

"There's no point crying about it now, it's over. We didn't play well enough so it didn't really affect the outcome of the game."

Waugh's side made 199 for nine from their 50 overs before Victoria replied with 201 for four from 39 overs at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Third umpire Geoff Morrow and match referee Malcolm Smith laid the charge. Victorian captain Darren Berry said Waugh left the field once he was told that Hussey had caught it.

Waugh's side played a drawn four-day match with Victoria earlier in the week as the skipper made a double-century then suffered concussion in the field after a wayward return struck him in the head.

Waugh was fined half his match fee for dissent during his side's series-clinching second test win over South Africa in Melbourne in December 2001.

Test cricket's third-highest run-scorer was called before a disciplinary hearing after he stood his ground despite being given run out for 90 by umpire Darrell Hair.

 

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