The Hindu : Pakistan takes on the champion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003

Sport

Sport - World Cup

Pakistan takes on the champion

By G. Viswanath

Wasim Akram ... the old warhorse would like to sign off in style.

Johannesburg Feb. 10. Australia and Pakistan are geared up to renew their World Cup battle at `The Wanderers' on Tuesday.

Everything points to a needle match between two of the strongest outfits in international cricket, but there are individuals in both sides who have the all encompassing potential to knock down their opponent either with the wooden blade or the hard ball on their own. They have done it in the past and are capable of doing the damage again.

Foremost among them are Australia's Matthew Hayden whose appetite for amassing runs in the last 24 months has shown no signs of diminishing, its new ball opening pair in Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie and the World's all time greatest wrist spinner Shane Warne.

Leading the Pakistan pack is the redoubtable fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. The `Rawalpindi Express' has had a fair share of success against the Australian batsmen.

Four years ago he might have been carried away by the World Cup stage in England.

He was raw, energetic and attempted to demand the utmost from his body.

He rattled the Australians, and Steve Waugh in particular, when the two teams clashed in the league match at Leeds.

Then in the quarterfinals at Old Trafford he made the Kiwi batsmen bob and weave and hit the base of their stumps with fast swinging yorker-length deliveries. Akhtar has gained in experience and feels obliged to play more responsible roles. A tally of 122 wickets at 21.00 in 75 matches might not count as phenomenal figures, but nevertheless it's a splendid feat by Pakistan's most talked about cricketer these days.

Akhtar has set goals for himself in this World Cup competition and must be looking forward to a great start against Australia.

The speed gun recorded him bowling at 100 mph against New Zealand last April and there is no gainsaying the fact that he must be itching to have go at Australian, English and Indian batsmen.

While Akhtar is bracing up for battles with the world-class batsmen in `Group A' matches and would be the main focus, Wasim Akram's tired legs and arms might simply refuse to give in. Akram, like South Africa's Allan Donald and India's Javagal Srinath is all set to bid adieu from international cricket.

What has motivated him to stay fit and come here is also the fact that he is, after scaling the peak, only 10 wickets short of reaching the 500 mark in one-day Internationals.

Pakistan's batsmen, with the sole exception of Yousuf Youhana, are unreliable, which is what makes the 1992 World Cup winner a less fancied team to last the distance. It will have to wait until an hour before the start of the match to know Saeed Anwar's fitnees. Anwar was struck on the elbow by a delivery from Akhtar in the nets.

On Tuesday Pakistan would like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Youhana and Younis Khan to get cracking against the might of the Australian pace attack and Warne.

It is possible that the winner of tomorrow's match at `The Wanderers' would be assured a place in the Super Six.

Australia has enjoyed supremacy on home grounds, but against many of the top teams at neutral venues, it has a balanced record. It is 7-7 against Pakistan at neutral venues.

Pakistan captain Waqar Younis and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif feel that Australia without Steve Waugh could panic under pressure.

There is some truth in the response from the Pakistani camp that Australia without Steve Waugh, Michael Bevan and Darren Lehmann (serving the last match ban for passing racial remarks against the Sri Lankans) will be easy meat.

Ponting had earlier said that he was looking forward to a repeat of the 1999 final at Lord's. On Sunday, Ponting chose the opening pair with which he would like to attack the Pakistan batsmen.

He would start with his most trusted bowlers in McGrath and Jason Gillespie and that Brett Lee, who was adjudged the VB Series Player of the Tournament in Australia, would still have a role to play as back-up seamer.

Australia might just surprise everyone by picking an additional spinner in Brad Hogg.

Coach John Buchanan is very impressed with Hogg's progress as a spinner allrounder and he looks almost certain to play against Pakistan.

The teams (from):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (Capt.), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Jimmy Maher, Andrew Symonds, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Brad Hogg, Andy Bichel, Ian Harvey, Michael Bevan.

Pakistan (from): Waqar Younis (Capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Salim Elahi, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Rashid Latif, Taufiq Umar, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq.

Umpires: Messrs. David Shepherd (England) and Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka); TV umpire: D. Bowden (New Zealand); Fourth: S. Wadivala; Match Referee: Clive Lloyd.

Hours of play: 1-30 p.m. (IST) to 5 p.m. and 5-45 onwards.

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