Six-pack leaves contenders staggering (13 June 1999)

13 June 1999

Six-pack leaves contenders staggering

Michael Atherton

The format for this tournament has been confusing and difficult to explain. England seemed to be cruising to the Super Six stage when they were suddenly pitched out of the competition, while Zimbabwe could make the semi-finals having not won a single second-round match.

The system was supposed to encourage consistency and prevent the type of situation that occurred in the last World Cup where South Africa won all of their opening games only to lose a quarter-final and be dumped. Yet here we could have the situation where Australia, having won two of their Super Six games, still have to beat South Africa to guarantee their further participation.

Indeed, the tournament does not seem to have encouraged much consistency at all. Pakistan, after a flying start, lost three games in a row before they halted their slide against Zimbabwe. Australia, by contrast, started slowly but found their form just when their one-day credibility was on the line against the West Indies. Even South Africa saw the form book turned on its head when they were humbled at Chelmsford by Zimbabwe.

Hansie Cronje, however, will be a happy man; South Africa have finally reached the semi-finals. Although at the start of the tournament he insisted that they were not feeling the pressure of favouritism, his obvious relief at making the next round belied that claim. Moreover, against New Zealand his players began to put the final pieces of the jigsaw together.

His top-order batsmen have struggled to find their best form. Gary Kirsten is a key figure and when in form the strokemakers around him can play with more freedom in the knowledge that he will make so few unforced errors.

Lance Klusener will be relieved that his failure earlier in the week did not come at a crucial time, but will be hoping that his role as saviour at No 9 is not required so frequently. If there is one weakness in the South African machine it is that their bowling lacks variety. If the sun begins to shine and the wickets dry out Cronje may look enviously at Saqlain and Warne on the other side.

He has said he would prefer to play their semi-final at Old Trafford as it would give his team another day's rest before the final. On reflection Edgbaston may suit his team's attack rather more: Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock regard it as their second home and his team rely solely on pace and seam, though in Klusener and Donald they have expert reverse swingers as well.

Wasim Akram will not have been surprised by his team's roller-coaster ride in recent matches. He has been a Pakistan player too long for that. Such was their domination early on it would have been hard to imagine them struggling to make the semifinals. Struggling they were, however, having lost three in a row, including one to the old enemy, India.

Like Cronje, Wasim will have been pleased to see his top order find some semblance of form. Saeed Anwar is one of the best players in the world but was in the kind of rut every batsman finds himself in at some stage. The conditions now ought to favour his loose and languid style of play.

Pakistan found themselves wanting under pressure against South Africa and I thought Wasim wrong in the heat of the moment to blame his young fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. Wasim will need him firing and full of confidence in the matches to come and in any event a captain, where possible, should criticise players in private and defend them in public. Wasim will need to be at his shrewdest to keep his volatile and disparate mix together.

Steve Waugh, unlike Wasim, found himself under pressure at the start of the tournament. His team were playing poorly and his tactics and selections came under fire. To his credit he seems to have found the key to Australia's form in time. They finally came up with the best team by playing Tom Moody and Paul Reiffel, both vastly experienced in English conditions.

Restoring Glenn McGrath as the spearhead of the attack has been the most important factor. In the key match against the West Indies he knocked over the top order, including Brian Lara. And at the Oval he completed a memorable double by removing the peerless Tendulkar for nought. Waugh will hope that the bowling does not become over reliant on McGrath, and wickets from Shane Warne against his favourites, South Africa, would be welcome.

There is much talk of momentum in World Cups and Australia have the momentum to win it.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph