Australia bank on Lee firepower

Zimbabwe pin hopes on Lara’s tips.

AHMEDABAD: Australia launch their World Cup bid against Zimbabwe today at the Sardar Patel Stadium, without their usual favourites tag but banking on the pace duo Brett Lee and Shaun Tait to fire them to a fourth successive title.

Australia have lost just one of their 27 One-Day Internationals (ODI) against Zimbabwe with their lone defeat at the 1983 World Cup. Australia, victorious in 1999, 2003 and 2007, have also not lost a single game in the past two World Cups under captain Ricky Ponting.

Although they have lost some of their power in recent years, they are still the top-ranked side in the ODI game. Paceman Lee said he and Tait could still wreak havoc despite the spin-friendly wickets in the subcontinent.

“I don’t see any problem with the pace which we have and playing on the slow wickets,” said Lee.

“At the end of the day, the ball is still coming at 150 kmh through the air. The pitch is a massive part of the equation. But if you have a bowler like Tait bowling around 160 kmh at the batsmen’s toes, it doesn’t matter where you are playing. It is still going to hit the batsmen on the full.”

Australia, who struggled against spin in their practice matches, are likely to face another spin test as Zimbabwe have good slow bowlers in Raymond Price, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer. Zimbabwe hope recent batting tips from West Indies great Brian Lara will stand them in good stead.

“Lara shared his experience with us and it helped us a lot. Hopefully, we will be able to put it into practice,” said Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura.

The team’s batting coach Grant Flower said his side was heading in the right direction.

“Things are moving in the right direction,” said Flower. “We’re expecting some good things at the World Cup.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2011.