The all important first match for both teams. The winner of this match will be playing the next matches with a lot of confidence. For Pakistan it will be a big morale booster. If we win this match it might be impossible to stop us. If Aus wins this match, it will be a big boost for them ahead of their match with Australia.
Lets hope for the best. Pakistan will inshallah prevail.
yep and this is the best shot Pakistan has as Bevan and Lehmann are not playing tomorrow's match and Mcgrath, Gillespie and Warne are all not all match-fit. Go Pakistan Go...
It will be a very important match for Pakistan. A win would really boost their morale. For that to happen the team will have to be firing on all cylinders.
Let’s hope for the best while not losing sight of the fact that Australia are the current champions and in very fine form.
Best of luck to Pakistan 
** Australia Ripe for the Picking, says Pakistan](http://www-usa.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2003/FEB/136757_AAP_10FEB2003.html)
Pakistan believes Australia is ripe for the picking in tomorrow’s potentially explosive World Cup cricket match at the Wanderers because of a batting lineup missing Michael Bevan and Darren Lehmann.
Pakistan coach Richard Pybus claimed his Jekyll-and-Hyde side was bubbling with confidence and keen to make a statement as Australia prepared to tackle Pakistan’s potent pace attack with only five specialist batsmen.
“Our boys are looking forward to this match because they are sure they have a great opportunity,” said Pybus tonight.
"There is a lot of history between the two countries and there are a couple of scores to settle.
"If we take early wickets it will place enormous pressure on them because of the situation with Lehmann and Michael Bevan. The key for Australia is the top order and we will be going hard at them with our fast bowlers.
"Our focus is going to be on that top order and it is going to be a fascinating battle.
“Both teams like to play it tough. Australia know about us. They know that when we are hot we are very hot, when we hit our straps we can take out anybody.”
Australia’s top six became a top five when Bevan (groin) failed a fitness test, joining Lehmann (suspended) on the sidelines. Australia only selected one reserve batsman, Jimmy Maher, so the Cup favourites were left a specialist batsman short for the clash against Pakistan’s fast-bowling royalty: Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram.
Pybus said Maher and Australia’s latest allrounder, Brad Hogg, were unproven at World Cup and would be tested.
“It (World Cup) is a totally different stage,” he said.
"I’ve seen a little bit of Jimmy - there is a lot of responsibility on him now. He’s a linchpin there in that middle order and we will be putting a little bit of pressure on him.
“Brad Hogg, he’s been doing well, he’s a competitive sort of player, but it’s always interesting to see how players accommodate themselves in big tournaments like this.”
Shoaib, Waqar and wicketkeepr Rashid Latif have done their best in the lead-up to ruffle Australian feathers.
Shoaib vowed to dismiss Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting, and claimed Brett Lee was no match-winner.
Waqar claimed Australia was panicking about having to play Pakistan and then Rashid said the defending champions had dropped the trophy by leaving Test skipper Steve Waugh at home.
But Australian skipper Ponting wasn’t buying into a pre-match war of words.
“He can say whatever he likes,” Ponting said of Waqar.
"I’m not too worried about whatever they say.
"We haven’t spoken about it and we won’t speak about it.
"As soon as we start worrying about what they’re talking about we’re taking our eye off what we have to do.
"We’ve been in South Africa just going about our business. We’ve had our fair share of success against them in the past and I hope that doesn’t change.
"We’ve got three of the best fast bowlers in the world, the best leg spinner in the world and a bloke who has done particularly well in the last few games bowling left arm wrist spin.
“Our bowling line-up is good and we’re pretty sure our batting line-up can do the job.”
Ponting admitted Shoaib, timed at a world record 161kph in a one-dayer against New Zealand last year, would be a handful.
“They seem to get the ball to swing quicker than most other sides,” Ponting said.
"You just have to have a smaller back lift and eliminate your big shots and try and get through those dangerous spells.
"As we’ve seen in one-day cricket and Test cricket he (Shoaib) can still take three or four or five wickets in a hurry and destroy your innings so you’ve just got to get through those tough periods.
“We know he’s a very dangerous bowler … but most of our guys have had success against him and have got game plans worked out to combat his speed.”
Wasim, 37, who has 490 one-day international wickets, is playing his fifth and last World Cup and commands respect.
“I have always enjoyed taking on challenges,” he said.
"Australia has always been a very competitive team and I always enjoy playing and performing against them. I just can’t wait for Tuesday’s game and although it would not be a grudge match, we would certainly like to start the tournament on a winning note.
“We need to start with a bang … we are ambitious and motivated enough to win the tournament.”
Ponting said the first hour would be crucial.
“If you let them get away early they’re a very good side, very good front runners.”
Australia (from): Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (vc), Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Jimmy Maher, Brad Hogg, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds, Ian Harvey, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Andy Bichel.
Pakistan (from): Waqar Younis (c), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Anwar, Saleem Elahi, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Rashid Latif, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdur Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Taufeeq Umar, Wasim Akram, Yousuf Youhana
**
Good to see Pakistanis trying thier hand on mind games :D, Hope they click as a unit in this tournament.
I really hope Saeed is fit for tomorrow’s match. My team would be
Saeed/Taufeeq
Afridi
Youhana
Inzi
Younus
Razzaq
Latif
Wasim
Waqar
Saqlain
Shoaib
6 regular bowlers plus taufeeq and younus available. 5 specialist batsmen plus all roudners in Razzaq, Latif , Wasim and Afridi.
**Pakistan, Australia all keyed up for crucial encounter
Pakistan and Australia may be as different as chalk and cheese as far as collective attitude towards the game and consistency are concerned. But both are equally eager to start off this 2003 World Cup in style. And as such both are a trifle wary of each other for their opening game here at Wanderers on Tuesday.
On the eve of the match, Waqar Younis was all poise and confidence. In a press conference, he conceded that it was an important game and admitted that the West Indies’ upsetting South Africa’s best-laid plans has provided some inspiration to end his team’s rather miserable recent run against the Aussies.
“We’ve played against them in the past, and know what to expect. We’re playing well, and we’ve won our warm-up games with comfort”, warned Ricky Ponting, hinting that Australia was prepared for the crucial opener, which may well guarantee the winner a much-wanted spot in the Super Sixes.
For his part, Younis fired his warning in quiet and measured tones. “This is a different, full-strength Pakistan squad [than the one recently beaten by Australia]”, said Younis, who in a roundabout way mentioned something to the effect that the boys were now fully charged to give a good display in this World Cup together as a team.
To a question, Younis agreed that this was the last World Cup for himself and his partner-in-pace, Wasim Akram. And this too was egging them on to leave the world stage wrapped up in glory.
“Wasim has been bowling well at the nets, and would surely get the new ball, but we’ve not decided who would join him at the other end. It could be anyone between myself, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami”, said he.
With an embarrassment of riches in fast bowling at his disposal, Younis was non-committal whether he would opt for a four-pronged pace attack or bolster the batting by inducting a couple of all-rounders. “We’ve our game plan against Australia, and we’ve our game plan for this entire World Cup. But I’m not going to disclose what side we’re going to field in the morning”.
Unlike Australia, which had implied that it might opt for two spinners on a track that seemed to suit the slow bowlers, Younis however said that they weren’t contemplating playing two spinners.
“We’ve looked at Australia’s strengths and weaknesses, and we’re aware that they have a few injury problems”, said Younis, talking of the Aussie vulnerability.
No one could accuse him of being over-optimistic in this area. Though the Australian camp is saying that everybody other than Michael Bevan is fit, Shane Warne is considered to be way below his best after dislocating a shoulder midway through the Ashes. And so are Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie – all of whom have suffered multiple injuries and sat out games in recent times. Then Darren Lehmann too would remain on the bench because of the ICC ban. All this is bound to have put limits on the resources at Ricky Ponting’s disposal.
Pakistan, which again had a long and gruelling training session Monday morning, only has one doubtful starter, Saeed Anwar. “He’s fifty-fifty. He trained in the nets though”, said Younis, mentioning that Shahid Afridi and Taufeeq Umar might open the batting on Tuesday.
The morale in the Pakistan camp is high, and they are all keyed up to take on Australia. “We are all at our peak and the team spirit is high. We would give it our best shot”, said Younis.
Richard Pybus, the Pakistan coach, echoed similar sentiments, also hammering the ‘back to full strength’ vein. “We’re back to full strength, and we’ve some exciting new talent. We had the opportunity to acclimatise ourselves with the conditions here. It would be a fantastic game”, said he.
On paper, if the Australians have the edge in terms of professionalism and mental strength, Pakistan pack so much talent in their eleven that once it starts clicking together, it could destroy any team. Combined with this riches in talent along with their new-found self-belief and cohesion, Pakistani fans would be justified in hoping the team may turn things around in this vital game.
**
i think they shud play saleem elahi…he did better than taufeeq in the lead up matches n hes got an average if 37…thats pretty good!
Good Luck Pakistan!
as the ppl r sayin whoever will win this match, he surely will win the world cup!
Looks like a good combination to me. The only change I think would be Inzi one down and then Youhana. The rest looks perfect.
Yeh team hamara bulund karegi Inshallah.
You know what? Watching Lara and Klusener once again turn on the World Cup magic I wish even more that we had brought Moin back. Big games need big match players. Still, it's too late now so best of luck to Rashid.
In have a feeling we will cause an upset tomorrow, this is the WC and the bullsh*tting and team politics will be put to one side so we can hopefully show what we are really made of.
Lets get ready to rumbleeeeeeeee :bhangra:
p.s: I wish I could watch the match 
Pakistan V Austrailia are always exciting to watch. However, I have a feeling, pakistan are talking too much. Shoaib in an interview thinks he is going to take the top three wickets, whilst Waqar and Latif have had their fair say too. The Aussies have just kept quite. Lets hope we can live up to our words, and detroy them..... Its a shame Nazir has been left out the squad, even if he didn't score many, he would have saved a guaranteed 20 + runs at point.
Kher, i never seem to agree with the selection committee.
Best of luck to Waqar n his boys.
It is really stupid of Shoaib to say he will take TOP THREE wickets since he comes as first change. That means Wasim and Waqar will bowl 12 or so overs without taking any wickets so Mr Shoaib Akhtar can live upto his threats?. What bull.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by funguy: *
It is really stupid of Shoaib to say he will take TOP THREE wickets since he comes as first change. That means Wasim and Waqar will bowl 12 or so overs without taking any wickets so Mr Shoaib Akhtar can live upto his threats?. What bull.
[/QUOTE]
Very true....he always like to make statesments like that......but often fail to live upto his words.
Will they have Saqlain in team against Austrailia? Afridi has a better record against Ausies as a regular spinner.
Younus Khan is in form, hope he plays good. Inshallah, Pakistan will win. :bhangra:
I think by making all those comments Pakistan team is trying to plasy some kind of mind game, like put the oppisition under presuure. They do seem motivated though. I like Wasim Akrams comment in which he said that they team just wanna start the tournament on a winning note, nothing against Australia or any body. Inshllah team will live to our expectations.
I predict the following line-up:
Anwar
Afridi
Younis Khan
Inzi
YoYo
Abdur Razzaq
Azhar Mehmood
Latif
Wasim
Waqar
Shoaib
Don't you love the batting line-up with Wasim (257* in tests and many memorable ODI innings to his name) coming in at number NINE !
Top UK bookies William Hill have made tournament favourites Australia their 1/3 choice to win Tuesday's clash of the big guns against Pakistan.
Pakistan are 9/4 outsiders for the Group A match in Johannesburg, so £20 on them would win £65.
Matty Hayden is 10/3 favourite to top score for the Aussies while Yousuf Youhana and Saleem Elahi are 7/2 joint favourites for Pakistan. Click here for all the odds.
Over in Durban, Bangladesh are a tiny 1/14 to beat Canada in their Group B game. The North Americans are 13/2.
But none of that is anything compared to India's odds on Wednesday – when they are 1/500 to overhaul the Netherlands. That's bet £500, win £501. If you fancy the shock of the Cup so far, Holland are 33/1.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by funguy: *
Top UK bookies William Hill have made tournament favourites Australia their 1/3 choice to win Tuesday's clash of the big guns against Pakistan.
Pakistan are 9/4 outsiders for the Group A match in Johannesburg, so £20 on them would win £65.
Matty Hayden is 10/3 favourite to top score for the Aussies while Yousuf Youhana and Saleem Elahi are 7/2 joint favourites for Pakistan. Click here for all the odds.
Over in Durban, Bangladesh are a tiny 1/14 to beat Canada in their Group B game. The North Americans are 13/2.
But none of that is anything compared to India's odds on Wednesday – when they are 1/500 to overhaul the Netherlands. That's bet £500, win £501. If you fancy the shock of the Cup so far, Holland are 33/1.
[/QUOTE]
Time to make money.Put money on Netherland.Present Indian team cant even beat netherland...
I just had a great vision come to my mind. Inzi does NOT have to bat at all. Australia will be all out for 120 batting first and our openers will make the runs in 15 overs without losing a wicket.