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Time to strike

Tomorrow is the first of the three finals, and Pakistan players see it as the right time to get their act together and emulate their performance in the first match of the tournament, at Brisbane. I have always maintained that the team that wins the first of best-of-three finals is hard to beat because it is like a short series where it's difficult to come from behind. Therefore, tomorrow's match will see us go all out for a win since that will really put pressure on the Aussies.

In fact, on the eve of the finals it is a fact that the pressure is well and truly on the Aussies. They are a team which has had an incredible run both in Tests and in one-dayers, and the Australian media and the spectators are both eager to see this streak being continued. I am not saying this to turn the pressure on Steve (though that won't be a bad thing), but let's face it, they are the side to beat in international cricket.

What one must admire about the Australian team is the bench strength that they boast of. They have at least five players who can walk into most international sides, though not featuring in their eleven. We too have considerable bench strength in the all-rounder and bowling departments, perhaps that is why these players perform so well for us. Competition for berths is a must for any team otherwise complacency sets in.

However, we are not in awe of the Aussies, and I know that if my team plays to potential at the MCG, they will be very hard to beat. Though we lost the last three league games against Australia, they were not one-sided affairs. We gave them a scare in two of those games and may have actually won one of them if rain had not spoilt our tempo.

Our bowlers have fared quite well right through the tournament, and even our batsmen have shown flashes of what they are capable of. I hope one of our top order batsmen clicks, because it is important that one of them bats through the innings for us to do well. We have just received the news that Inzamam has bcome a proud father of a son, and hopefully his first gift to the new born will be a century.

We are also sharpening our fielding, which is a huge factor on large grounds like the MCG. On such grounds it is important to know where exactly to stand, and when one is batting one should know where exactly to place the ball so as to run twos and threes. This may seem a minor issue, but I think it is a home advantage that the Aussies exploit to the fullest, while playing against visiting sides.

Abdur Razzaq will definitely feature in tomorrow's game, and I'm looking forward to see how McGrath bowls to him. Glen is fiercely proud of his reputation as a miserly bowler, and will definitely go flat out to avenge the five consecutive fours that Razzaq hit off him. Though we did lose that match, Razzaq's knock has given us a significant psychological advantage; my batsmen now know that McGrath can be taken for runs.

(Gameplan)

Wasim Akram