Waqar focused for Australia clash

Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has revenge and psychology in mind as his team prepare to take on world champions Australia in the triangular one-day series at The Riverside on Saturday.

Although the game is academic with both sides already through to the Lord's final on June 23, Waqar said it was vital for Pakistan's confidence to win at least one of their last two round-robin matches against the so-far unbeaten Australians.

"Tomorow's game is important for us. I'm not sure if it's that important for the Australians but it is very important for us to give a good show before the final," the fast bowler told Reuters on Friday.

"We need to win at least once against them, at Riverside or at Trent Bridge, so we can have a little psychological effect on them for the final."

Steve Waugh's Australia, the 1999 World Cup champions, have won their first three triangular tournament outings while Pakistan, who lost to the Aussies by seven wickets in Cardiff, have won twice in three matches.

Waqar, who is set to play his 315th one-day international on Saturday, is well aware that Australia have held the upper hand in limited-overs contests against Pakistan in recent years.

CONVINCING WIN

Their Cardiff defeat to Australia in the second match of the triangular series was the first meeting between the two sides in England since the 1999 World Cup final, won convincingly by Australia by eight wickets.

The world champions then followed that success by hammering Pakistan in a one-day tournament in Australia early last year.

They bowled them out for just 154 in the first final and then crushed them in the second after racking up a formidable 337 for seven in 50 overs, Australia's second-highest one-day total ever in limited-overs cricket.

"In the last few years, with the amount of cricket we have played against the Australians, they've always done better than us, except in the 1992 World Cup," Waqar said.

"They're a very professional side and they don't really have many weaknesses.

"But player for player, I think we are pretty evenly matched."

Waqar pinpointed in-form batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq as one of Pakistan's most likely match-winners.

"Inzamam, I would say, is the best player in the world at the moment," he said.

"I don't think there are too many players in the world who can build an innings like he can. We've also got Saeed Anwar and Yousuf Youhana and they're all playing well.

"We are playing good cricket at the moment and we are very keen to win this tournament."

Mail Cricket Editor