Why not 'rotate', asks Steve Waugh

By Malcolm Conn

MARGAO, APRIL 5. Australia goes into Friday's final limited-overs match determined to salvage something from this heart and back breaking tour, by using the same free-for-all rotation policy which Steve Waugh claims has made his side a world leader.

Needing a victory today to claim the one-day series 3- 2 and at least gain a consolation prize after a physically and emotionally draining 1-2 Test series defeat, the Australian captain has refused to back away from a system which has seen just five members of a squad which was as large as 15 play all four games to date.

``There has been far too much talk about this rotation system. The bowlers have been rotated for the last three years,'' a defiant Waugh said in a setting as close to a tropical paradise as any place in the world can be.

``Manchester United soccer team have done it for the last couple of years. They play about 70 games of soccer. We play about 100 days of cricket. So why shouldn't we rotate. It is in all other sports basically.

``I can guarantee you, in 12 to 18 months time every other cricket team will be doing it. The sooner people get their heads around it and realise it is common sense the better.''

Only Waugh, his vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, Michael Bevan, Damien Fleming and Glenn McGrath have not been rested and it would be a surprise if any of those pivotal players were rested on Friday, however, Waugh refused to rule it out.

``I have always said it does not matter, whatever eleven we will put on the park it will probably be as good a side as the previous one,'' said Waugh.

``People complain about resting Matthew Hayden but you saw his comment that he needed a couple of days off to rest mentally and get back into it. He got a hundred next game.

``We rested Ponting and Warne in the second game. They have been two of our best players of the last few years. We won the game so there was not a problem then.''

While winning a Test series in India will now remain one of Waugh's great unfulfilled ambitions he and his charges have done remarkably well to channel such physical and emotional energy into this frantic and chaotic one-day series of constant travelling and constant crushes.

``I think it will show how tough the side is if we can come back and win this series,'' Waugh said. ``We are the world one-day champions.

``We have made a conscious effort to play that way, particularly after Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 and just went on a downward spiral for three years after that.

``We want to be worthy champions and keep our standards high. It is important for us to win it. That's why we are professional cricketers. I still enjoy it but it was very hard in the first couple of one-dayers for both sides. We have had a long season. We have not had a break for five or six months. It has been a very demanding season. It has been a real test this one-day series. I am happy the way we have come out of it so far.''

Bracken a bonus

Waugh believes the addition of young left- arm seamer Nathan Bracken this season has been a bonus which became obvious in the previous game when he dismissed Indian openers Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

``He has been one of the finds of the season. I think his angle is causing a few problems, going across Tendulkar and Laxman. They are not quite as comfortable,'' said Waugh.

``If you have a quality left-arm fast bowler it is always going to cause trouble to a side because you will change your angle all the time.''

The tall 23-year-old has a great chance of playing Friday's match, particularly given that he has never played in a losing side during his eight-match career, which has netted nine wickets at 29.56.

``I've just been fortunate enough to play in games where we have performed exceptionally well,'' the affable paceman said. ``It's the time of your life really, isn't it. It's great fun.''

Bracken believes a 1997 tour with the Australian Cricket Academy to India and Sri Lanka has helped him adapt quickly to the different conditions after flying in late because of a mislaid passport.

He regards change of pace as his best asset. There is no question about the highlight of his short career so far, dismissing Tendulkar in Visakhapatnam last Tuesday. ``When I bowled the ball I thought it was four,'' Bracken said. ``He stepped away and gave himself a little bit more room. I thought it was there to be hit but him stepping away and the ball sliding across him, it got a bit wide on him so he didn't have as much control of the shot as he would have liked.

``I wanted it to go over off stump, but it was half a foot outside and with players like him, they don't need much room for it to be four. Fortunately he hit it straight to Steve at cover, which was great.''

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