Practice makes perfect in search for winning habit

Although one-day cricket is unpredictable, a team can earn themselves a distinct advantage by finding form and, consequently building confidence within the team from an early stage. Having spoken on the phone to my friends from Down Under I know that they will be treating their practice games very seriously. After a week of rest and recuperation in Barbados, the guys are fired up for one-day cricket's Holy Grail, which in their minds started from the moment they arrived at Heathrow last week. They assure me that this week of preparation will be used to fine tune the starting line-up and add the final polish to what looks an excellent product.

To ensure that I don't incur the Melbourne Cup wrath on my fellow countrymen and teammates, I will predict at this stage that South Africa may be the favourites for the 1999 World Cup. Saying this only to avoid superstition, I look through objective eyes to see an outstanding Australia squad who are training in Cardiff for the next week.

Adding to the rich natural talent and invaluable experience within the team is a depth that would make most cricket playing nations envious. Any side leaving out players of the calibre of Slater, Blewett, Law, Hayden, Symonds, Harvey and Gillespie, must have a proud depth of talent that will make the Aussies extremely difficult to beat in this World Cup. Stars Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Mark Waugh add sparkling polish to a younger brigade of players who may also find themselves tagged as great players themselves in the future. Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, already a great player in the one-day game, and Adam Gilchrist are batsmen who need no introduction on the world stage. Add to this three quality all rounders Tom Moody, Shane Lee and Brendon Julian, who all have the ability to make a difference with both bat and ball, plus genuine swing bowlers in Adam Dale and Damien Flemming and the Australia team looks extraordinarily strong.

With his extensive experience in English conditions my gut feeling tells me that my Western Australian captain and skipper of Worcestershire, Tom Moody, could have a fantastic influence in the next month of World Cup cricket. When a team can afford to have him coming in at No 7 or eight in the batting line-up, playing him primarily as a bowler, you know that the batting depth is daunting. One-day batting "master", Michael Bevan, has shown on so many occasions that he has the ability to control the one-day game like a master conductor controls a symphony orchestra. His talent and ability to dominate the one-game with deft touch, a wood-choppers power and quick silver running between the wickets, makes him the best one-day batsman currently playing the game. With the back-up of players like Damien Martyn to fill in the gaps if necessary the Australians have the ability to set big scores, or chase any score, in any conditions.

While talent, depth and work ethic is obviously not a problem I feel the only obstacle for the Aussies will be overcoming the fatigue of being on the cricket roller coaster for the last eight months. Since Pakistan in September the guys haven't had a break from the game. Whilst a week's rest in Barbados would have done them the world of good I know that stress and fatigue are cumulative and all the guys will have to dig deep in their quest to produce the highest quality cricket in order to win the World Cup.

Steve Waugh, a very determined and inspiring character, understands that opportunities like winning the World Cup don't come around every day, and I know that he was very disappointed not to have won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games last year. He will be treating this World Cup as another opportunity to make amends for that treasured gold medal that meant so much to him and his team. As this World Cup could well be the last one played by some of Australia's most senior players I retract my concern that fatigue could be a factor. There is too much at stake here and the boys are fit enough and determined enough to put aside all obstacles. The motivation of a last World Cup opportunity, plus the obvious motivation of winning one-day cricket's Holy Grail will be enough to see "the good guys" playing in the June 20th final at Lords.

Another prediction, made through both biased and objective eyes.

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