Preview: Australia and Pakistan aim for momentum ahead of knockouts

By Jamie Alter

 

This is a match of purely academic interest, but one layered with subtext and crackling with context. Australia have extended their unbeaten World Cup run to 34 but with each match in the tournament they have creaked and there have been many areas where the world champions have been shown up.

By Jamie Alter

 

Colombo: Mar 19, 2011

 

This is a match of purely academic interest, but one layered with subtext and crackling with context. Australia have extended their unbeaten World Cup run to 34 but with each match in the tournament they have creaked and there have been many areas where the world champions have been shown up. A couple of unconvincing victories and an extended run of poor form have left Ricky Ponting a cranky man, and against the team most capable of halting their streak, Australia cannot afford to let their momentum dip.

 

Australia can expect to find a Premadasa surface that assists their spin bowlers, and Ponting will hope his spinners – Jason Krejza (four wickets at 47.25) – finally make some noise ahead of the knock-out phase. The form of the two specialist spinners and Ponting’s lack of runs have been worrisome for Australia – the captain only has 83 runs at 20.75 from the league matches – and they now have one last opportunity to hit their stride ahead of the big stage.

 

Pakistan have booked a place in the quarter-finals but it hasn’t been a smooth ride. Shahid Afridi is short of runs, the opening combination has been woeful, and Shoaib Akhtar’s last appearance saw him caned for 28 runs in his final over. The maverick fast bowler has announced that he will retire after the tournament, and there’s no team like Australia to get him revved up.

 

For Pakistan, the key will be to go hard at Australia’s in-form openers and it would have been heartening to see their spearhead Umar Gul get his touch and rhythm back. Afridi has been a smashing success as a bowler and has done well on supporting tracks in Sri Lanka. Pakistan are set to drop Ahmed Shehzad from the opening slot and push up Kamran Akmal to accommodate his brother Umar in the middle order.

 

The match will decide top spot in Group A ahead of next week’s quarter-finals. The last time Pakistan met Australia in the World Cup was in a memorable Pool A match in Johannesburg in 2003, and if tomorrow’s encounter manages to match even half the intensity of that clash, it will be a fitting end to Australia and Pakistan’s league phase and a sizzling prelude to the quarter-finals. 

 

Teams:

 

Australia (Probable): Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Jason Krejza, Shaun Tait.

 

Pakistan (Probable): Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afridi (c), Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal/Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar/Wahab Riaz.

 

Umpires: Tony Hill (New Zealand) and Marais Erasmus (South Africa).

 

Time: 14.30 local (09.00 GMT).

 

 

(Jamie Alter is a freelance cricket writer, having worked at ESPNcricinfo and All Sports Magazine. His first book, The History of World Cup Cricket, is out now. His twitter feed is @jamie_alter)

 

Pictures © Getty Images

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