Six-pack leaves contenders staggering (13 June 1999)
The format for this tournament has been confusing and difficult to explain
13-Jun-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