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| January 19, 2002 | Saturday | Ziqa'ad 4, 1422 |
Media hopeful about Aussies chances in Triangular
SYDNEY, Jan 18: Australia’s newspapers were pessimistic about the triangular series chances of Steve Waugh’s side on Friday in the wake of their 23-run defeat by New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.
Under the headline: “Kiwis tighten one-day noose”, The Australian newspaper said Waugh’s team were “seemingly out of contention for next month’s limited overs finals”.
Australia started hosting triangular limited overs series in 1979-80 and have missed the finals only twice, in that season and in 1996-97.
Australia had never lost their opening three matches in the triangular series and had not lost three successive one-day internationals for four years.
Australia’s next game is against South Africa in Brisbane on Sunday. The Proteas play New Zealand in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Australian newspaper said selection changes following the team’s 1996-97 series failures against Pakistan and West Indies helped put Australia on the path to their 1999 World Cup success.
“Now, with glaring holes appearing in a team who went into this tournament as clear favourites, a similar overhaul is pending,” the report said.
Australia defend their World Cup title in South Africa next year.
The Herald Sun newspaper, under a main back page headline which read: “Three strikes ... and are the Aussies out?”, described Thursday’s loss as a “debacle”.
The Herald Sun also hinted Waugh had argued unsuccessfully with chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns to have Test opener Matthew Hayden picked for the match.
The Age newspaper said New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming’s withdrawal from the game after injuring his elbow during the warm-up was not the only pre-match drama.
“Three hours before the game, chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns stood on the SCG arena discussing the team’s situation for half an hour with Australian coach John Buchanan,” The Age said.
“Later, he returned to settle the team’s composition with Waugh. It seemed anything but straightforward.”
Waugh said the pre-match talk was nothing unusual and that the team were fine, just struggling for form.
Buchanan Friday gave a strong hint that some of his team’s non-performing stars could be dropped after three successive defeats.
“There’s a case for saying maybe some change in terms of the current squad we’ve got will occur, but that’s in the selectors’ hands,” Buchanan said here as the selectors wrestled with the side’s line-up for Sunday’s crucial match here with South Africa.
Hohns also Friday dismissed claims that the controversial rotation system among the 14-man squad was to blame for the side’s woes.
“I would not for one minute suggest the rotation system has caused the three losses,” Hohns said.
“We put on the field in Sydney (against New Zealand) what we thought were the best team in those conditions and against that opposition.
Buchanan also backed the rotation system, leaving the door open for local Queensland trio, opening batsman Matthew Hayden, all-rounder Andrew Symonds and fast bowler Andrew Bichel to return.
The trio were left out of Thursday’s match after also missing the opening loss to New Zealand six days earlier.
Despite the recent hiccups, sports bookmakers still have Australia favourites to win the tri-series contest.—Reuters/AFP
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