Flexibility key to success as formats alter (14 May 1999)

14 May 1999

Flexibility key to success as formats alter

Ian Chapell

The 1999 World Cup is actually three tournaments in one and the teams flexible enough to adapt to the different formats will be the ones with the best chance of winning.

There's a good chance the qualifying section will be played on pitches that help the bowlers, who are already armed with a lethal weapon - a white ball that swings. This will prompt a conservative approach from most batsmen, with the plan being to keep wickets intact early with the onslaught likely to come in the last 15 overs.

Teams are also likely to lower their target sights and regard a score of 250 as the high end of the range. This approach will suit teams who have a long batting line-up and a strong bowling attack, as the South Africans and Australians do. Sri Lanka are a strong batting side, but their pace bowling appears to lack the required quality, while Pakistan fall a little short with the willow, but are adequately served by the best attack in the competition.

Qualifiers for the Super Six stage will begin combat in what will hopefully be warmer weather and on more batting-friendly pitches and the more enterprising sides will be looking to step up the run-rate. They will also enter this stage of the competition with either a handicap or an advantage, according to how many points they've retained from the qualifying games.

Which group they are in and whether they are handicapped or advantaged will have a major bearing on the tactics adopted for the second part of the tournament.

There is the prospect of a couple of 'old rivals' contests in Australia versus England and India doing battle with Pakistan. Then there is the chance that South Africa and the West Indies could clash, with the West Indies desperate to avenge their Caribbean defeat.

If India or the West Indies reach semi-final stage, then beware, because both possess a match-winning batsman who could turn a game in the time it takes to walk to the bar and get a drink. Recently, Sachin Tendulkar has beaten Australia on his own in one-day contests and Brian Lara has had similar success in the Test arena. To add to the potency of these two teams, Tendulkar and Lara are supported by top-class seam bowling.

This is the beauty of sudden-death cricket, even the best sides can get rolled, as South Africa discovered in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup. Adding to the drama will be the thrill of seeing a number of the game's top players performing major roles in what will probably be their last World Cup.

For all their success in the game, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose haven't played in a World Cup-winning team, so they will be fired up. Steve Waugh and Wasim Akram have tasted success as players and they would love to add to the experience by leading their team to victory. Hansie Cronje and Allan Donald have been an integral part of the 'new' South Africa on the sporting field and what an achievement it would be if they could help win the Cup. Mohammed Azharuddin is captaining in the Cup for the third time, a feat only matched by Clive Lloyd, but unlike the affable West Indies captain who twice 'led home a winner', the Indian hasn't achieved the ultimate success.

The three teams most likely to survive until the knock-out stage are South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. The fourth team is not so easy to pick. England will be weighed down by expectancy and a rigid tactical approach, rather than lifted by home advantage and this will allow India to scrape into the final four. If Australia meet India it will be a tough contest for the gold and greens as Tendulkar has had their measure lately and Pakistan are the type of unpredictable, yet skilled, rabble that could rattle a meticulous outfit like South Africa.

Whilst South Africa and Australia are favourites, I have a feeling there is going to be an surprise winner and if that is the case it's most likely to be either Pakistan or India.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)