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Australia were just too good

It is very embarrassing to speak as the captain of the losing side of a final that was so one-sided. I am disappointed, and our players, especially the top order in the Melbourne final, were not even competitive in the last two games. But there was no doubt that we were beaten by a truly superior side.

In the first final their bowlers rose to the occasion and bundled us out for a paltry 154, and in the second final their batsmen pulverised us on a pitch that did have something in it for the bowlers.

There is no shame in losing to the World champions, but I wish we had at least made a fight of it. However, our batting never really took off in the entire tournament. Neither Inzamam nor Saeed reached 50 even once in the 10 games. These guys are senior team members, so I am sure they knew what they had to do. It was, however, very disappointing to see that they never really got accustomed to the bounce and pace of Aussie pitches. Further, both lacked the application to make big scores after getting starts. Younger players like Afridi and Youhana too failed during the series, and these guys must learn that if they are to be considered as regulars in the team, they will have to perform consistently.

The factor that really upset me however was our disastrous performance on the field, especially in the Sydney final. It really shows up when you play Australia, because the levels of physical fitness is so obviously different. Our catching was pathetic, and I think the two catches that Youhana dropped cost us the match. You simply cannot put down chances against a team that does not give you many in the first place.

Further, when bowlers realise that the fielders are having a bad day, they too get pressurised and start bowling badly. No bowler can get wickets without adequate support from the fielders. Neither can they be economical if the fielders regularly dive after the ball has passed them, and give overthrows unnecessarily.

This is the area where Australia does so well. The batsmen get under pressure because sure fours are cut off, and they know that the Pontings and Symondses will simply not let a run out chance go by. Their batsmen too are aware that if one of them fails, there is always the next guy to chip in. Their bowling of course is as varied as it is consistent. McGrath is perhaps the most consistent and dependable bowler in the world, and along with Warne and the Lees packs in a punch that very few teams can recover from.

Personally, I think this Australian team, with its depth in batting and variety in bowling is comparable to the West Indian team of the late seventies and early eighties. I say this because they, like the Windies in those days, are way ahead of the rest of the teams. Steve said he wants teams to fear the Australians, and I think he has achieved that. Critics in Pakistan feel we should have stayed on during the break between our Test series and the tri-series, but I think hindsight and ifs and buts serve no purpose. We have to be constructive in this hour of defeat and find out what makes the Aussie team tick. How do they have so much bench strength? Why is their fielding so superior? Why don't they break down after a long season?

Our players have the talent, but they have to back it up with physical fitness and professionalism. At the end of the day I don't think the two losing teams have deteriorated in their standards; it's just that the Australians have taken their game to a higher level.

(Gameplan)

Wasim Akram