Aussie system braces for Windies surge

If the Aussies needed a brand ambassador to advertise their globally accepted cricket domination, there can8217;t be anyone better than former opener and present selector David Boon.

If the Aussies needed a brand ambassador to advertise their globally accepted cricket domination, there can8217;t be anyone better than former opener and present selector David Boon. The swagger is still there and the words emerging from behind that thick handle-bar moustache are sure that the Aussies can finally set their Champions Trophy record straight. 8220;We have the strongest domestic competition in the world and we have 72 players vying for a spot in the national team at one stage,8221; says Boon in that famous gruff voice.

As it comes within days of Dilip Vengsarkar8217;s 8220;no exceptional talent around8221;, it confirms a number of things: Australia8217;s superpower status, consistency, favourites tag before every game and, of course, the gulf between them and the rest. Again, the only hope any Aussie rival can have on a big match eve is a momentous performance or an individual stroke of brilliance, as the West Indies surely realise before the Champions Trophy final tomorrow.

How to avoid that stroke seemed to be a major cause of discussion as Boon spent a lot of time near the Brabourne pitch with captain Ricky Ponting. As Ponting says, the combination will be vital on this track that many say is the 8216;250 type8217;8212; there are chances of either chinaman Brad Hogg or the offie Dan Cullen getting in. As the short on inches but huge on stature Tasmanian greats put their heads together, they seemed like two conniving elfs hatching a conspiracy. When Boon talks about Ponting, one can feel the rapport between the two. 8220;The key issue is that he does not rely on any variables whatsoever. He gets out there; he practices hard, if some thing is not right he works as hard as he possibly can. That is why he is the best,8221; he says.

It will be this hands-on approach that will be vital tomorrow considering that plans need to change for batsmen of varying styles like Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan or the great Brian Lara. But more importantly, it will be Ponting8217;s trait of thinking on his feet that will be severely tested since dressing room strategy doesn8217;t matter when Gayle, Chanderpaul or Lara get going.

Though it is seen as the final between the two best teams, it is also a showdown between two contrasting cricket systems. The West Indies8217; Australian coach Bennet King has pointed to the amateurish system in the Caribbean 8212; lack of government support and back-up for players after school. As Boon will tell you, it8217;s quite different Down Under. 8220;We have an excellent senior academy in Brisbane. And each state has its own academy for young kids, most of them are associated with the government sector and institutes of sport. The National Pura Cup is one of the strongest domestic competitions in the world. The strength and competitiveness of that competition helps us produce good players,8221; he says.

The last time the two teams met in a final 8212; the Malaysia tri-series 8212; Gayle took guard to face Brett Lee with 241 to chase. The Aussie speedster started with a toe-crushing yorker that had Gayle clean bowled. Obviously, being on their toes all the time is the only option for the West Indies to walk tall, this time.