Warne's magic just the trick as Australia lift World Cup (20 June 1999)

20 June 1999

Warne's magic just the trick as Australia lift World Cup

Trevor Chesterfield

London (England) - It was Wasim Akram who admitted with the sort of humbleness of a well defeated skipper who knew his side had come off second best that Australia were deserving of the World Cup champion title won so convincingly at Lord's yesterday.

Akram, who won the toss and had the advantage of batting first in the fourth World Cup final to be played at headquarters in seven tournaments, that Shane Warne's bowling tricks had been just too good for his flat-footed batsman on a day of ignominy for Pakistan, who had edged Australia as pre-final favourites.

Bowled out for 132 in 39 overs Pakistan were always 100 runs short of making a genuine game of what was a poor example of one team's inability of overcome a side inspired by seven days of tight, discipline Australia's captain Steve Waugh hailed the victory by eight wickets late in the afternoon as the finest of his career. He said the result had affirmed the Australian selectors decision of 18 months ago to split the squad into Test and limited over sides. `They have taken a lot of stick for the decision but have stuck firmly to their views and the result is what we see here at Lord's - a World Cup title.

`You cannot do much better than that,' added the older Waugh twin who emulated Allan Border's achievement of 1987 when Australia won the title when they beat England at Calcutta's Eden Gardens. Australia have played in three of the last four World Cup finals, the first at Lord's in 1975 when they lost to the West Indies. They were losing finalists in 1996 when Sri Lanka surprised the world by winning the crown: a title which weighed heavily around their neck.

Australia reached the final when they tied with South Africa at Edgbaston last Thursday, a result which Waugh said was `as cruel as any I can remember'. In the wake of yesterday's disaster where Pakistan were cheered on by thousands of supporters, the Australian skipper almost agreed the true final had been the match played against South Africa at Edgbaston.

It had all the ingredients of a final where fortunes fluctuated throughout the day. Yesterday, however, we had an anti climax as Mark Waugh joined the select band of players to score 1,000 World Cup runs with an undefeated innings of 37. Australia rattled off their 133 winning total in 20.1 overs with Adam Gilchrist setting up the victory charge with a convincing 54 with 59 runs short of the ultimate goal.

As it is any psychological advantage Pakistan received from Akram's winning the toss rapidly turned into a mirage. Mentally they were on a different planet, their star sign slowly disintegrating as the tight, controlled and discipline Australian bowling assumed total domination over the sub-continental giants who developed the feet of clay of an impostor.

This was not the side which had been so awesome when beating New Zealand by nine wickets five days before at Old Trafford in Manchester. As comprehensive as was that victory so were Pakistan during a batting performance of abject poverty and bereft of skill, flair and more important, technique. There was no fight, no spirit and no courage, and it showed. And with Warne's subtle leg spin weaving a spell of cunning if not sorcery, the men in green soon lost their appetite for a genuine fight.

Brilliant catching supported quality ground fielding and on a reflective glance at the score of 132 there is the distinct impression Pakistan were lucky to get that far. In St John's Wood Road outside Lord's the chanting, blowing of whistles and hooters and waving of flags added to the carnival spirit; by mid-afternoon while there was certain spirit inside the ground outside there were tears and the sad, crumpled faces of the young supporters told of their grief. Nothing was going to take away the pain as the distressed drifted into a blustery unpleasant afternoon.