Date:09/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/09/stories/2007030905072000.htm

Sport - Cricket

`Not concerned about warm-up results'

KINGSTOWN: Adam Gilchrist won't be overly concerned if Australia loses a fourth straight match against England — as long as there isn't a fifth during the World Cup.

Gilchrist said Australia's final warm-up match Friday will mainly be a chance to gauge the pace of the pitch against an opponent it has played 13 times in all forms of the game — winning 10 — since late October.

``We've seen a lot of them,'' he said on Wednesday. ``We've got to play them again, and hopefully again in the World Cup. You never look too closely at results in practice matches — it's just another opportunity to become accustomed to conditions and maybe get a hint as to what they'll be like for the rest of the tour.''

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has reiterated in a series of one-on-one meetings with his senior players the importance of staying confident in the wake of the losing streak.

``You would not know they have lost their last five games,'' Ponting said. ``No excuses, we let a couple of games slip and made mistakes. For the majority of those games we played some reasonable cricket, but a 10-15 over segment in each game saw us come undone and we can't afford to have that here.''

Ponting led an optional practice session on Wednesday, with only Michael Clarke absent as he rested up after top-scoring with 82 in the 106-run over Zimbabwe in a warmup match on Tuesday.

Having flown in on Monday night following some paternity leave for the birth of his third child, Gilchrist watched Australia's win over Zimbabwe, one day after England had crushed Bermuda by 241.

The Australian wicketkeeper played down the significance of New Zealand's two-wicket defeat to Bangladesh and South Africa's narrow victory over Ireland in other warmups ahead of the March 11-April 28 tournament.

``A week ago, New Zealand were worldbeaters, who toppled the No. 1 team and knocked them off their perch,'' Gilchrist said. ``It's all about acclimatising to conditions and working out what's going to work.'' — AP