MELBOURNE, Oct 9: The star-studded World XI was “underdone” and needed more preparation time, skipper Shaun Pollock said Sunday after his team’s 3-0 Super Series flogging at the hands of Australia.

The Australians, stung by the domestic fall-out of their Ashes loss to England, dominated the world all-stars, winning Sunday’s final one-dayer by 156 runs to go with their 93-run and 55-run victories in the other two games.

The world team have been criticised for showing little passion in their three games, but Pollock defended the ICC concept of the world’s top players playing the best team.

“There are some guys who have come in here with no cricket under their belts, and there are some guys who have played cricket,” he said.

“And from that perspective we were underdone, but you also have to understand the schedule these days is very difficult to fit more cricket in.

“Maybe an extra practice game or something like that, but I think ideally it would have been better if it was held at the end of the season when guys could come pretty much cricket-hardened.”

Pollock said selectors, headed by Sunil Gavaskar, had chosen a quality side for the world team.

“But we just didn’t play like the side we could.”

He said the ideal time span for future Super Series would be every four years.

“That would allow teams to establish themselves as number one in the world and it also allows the players to stake their claims over a longer period of time for the rest of the world side,” he said.

Several of the world team had series they would want to expunge from their records.

West Indian great Brian Lara flopped spectacularly with innings of 0, 5 and 0, while South African Jacques Kallis fared little better with 11, 8 and 2.

England’s Andrew Flintoff finished the series with just one wicket for a total of 153 runs from 21.2 overs, although he did better with the bat with scores of 42, 38 and 21.

Pakistan’s fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had an ignominious time, going wicketless in two games for 110 of 17 overs and Pollock only took two wickets.

The world’s better performers were Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara with 64, 61 and 13, Indian Virender Sehwag 6, 21 and 37. West Indian Chris Gayle thrilled with his 54 off 48 balls in the second game.

The world’s fielding was poor at times with a lack of mobility among some players at ODI level.—AFP