March 10, 2003	Monday	Muharram 6, 1424

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BLOEMFONTEIN, March 9: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has insisted he is ready for anything Australia can throw at him when the teams meet in their World Cup Super Six clash at Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.

After employing Brett Lee to target Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya in their opening second round game on Friday, Australian captain Ricky Ponting confessed that he wouldn’t think twice about using the same tactics against Fleming.

“We’ve heard it all before. They’re just following on from Steve Waugh (still Australia’s Test captain but no longer a member of their one-day squad) who was very good at using the media.”

After the world champions’ 96-run thrashing of Sri Lanka at Centurion on Friday, Ponting admitted his bowlers had targeted Jayasuriya as a means of undermining the confidence of the team.

Hit on the forearm by a Brett Lee special, Jayasuriya was forced to retire hurt and his participation in the rest of the tournament is still in doubt.

“Obviously you don’t want to see anybody getting seriously injured, but it is the World Cup and if it’s going to stop him scoring runs, then we’ll bowl there,” admitted Ponting.

Australia are well-known for singling out the opposition captain and their opponents’ best batsman, believing that if they fail the rest of the team will follow.

“We need to put pressure on Stephen Fleming. He made a sensational century against South Africa,” said Ponting, promising no let-up in his team’s efforts despite a place in the semifinals already being assured.

“He is playing well at the top of the order. New Zealand have played some good cricket and we have a rivalry with them.”

Not that the Black Caps leader, who unlike most captains has experience of upsetting the all-conquering Aussies, was impressed.

Invited by a journalist to reply with a similar threat, given the Black Caps have express quick Shane Bond in their team, a disdainful Fleming replied: “It’s just a waste of breath, really.”

Fleming added he was looking forward to the challenge of derailing Australia who are unbeaten at the tournament.

“The next game will be a tough game. Australia are playing well. But, like I said before the South Africa game, this is the World Cup. You want to test yourselves against the best.”

Reflecting on his side’s six-wicket win over Zimbabwe here on Saturday which kept their semifinals hopes alive, Fleming said his only major concern was the way in which his attack was savaged for 62 runs in the final three overs.

Asked if anything went wrong, Fleming replied: “Not until the 47th over. It went a little bit pear-shaped then.”

Nevertheless, the skipper, who has said his team can win the World Cup, was happy with the way his side were progressing.

“We’re not flashing our name up in neon lights, we’re going along quietly. We’ve got room to improve which is exciting.

“So far we’re doing the business and business is going well.”—AFP