Injuries slow down Aussie momentum

Yet a 92-run defeat to dishevelled England in Sydney on February 2 triggered an astonishing fall from grace for the Australians.

Against the odds, injury-hit England, modest one-day performers, embarrassed the Australians winning 2-0 in the best-of-three tri-series finals for Australia8217;s first one-day series defeat at home in 14 years.

It got no better losing this month8217;s Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series with New Zealand inflicting Australia8217;s first 10-wicket defeat in 646 one-day internationals in 36 years and then following up with a record chase 337-run chase in Auckland.

Ricky Ponting8217;s once formidable side is beset by injuries ahead of the World Cup with match-winning all-rounder Andrew Symonds included in the 15-man squad although he may not be able to play earlier matches because of recent surgery to re-attach a torn bicep muscle.

Strike fast bowler Brett Lee rates himself a 8216;50-508217; chance of playing after sustaining a serious angle ligament injury in training ahead of the opening Chappell-Hadlee Trophy game.

Cricket Australia say the key paceman8217;s availability for the World Cup won8217;t be known until later this week, although he does not need surgery.

With Symonds already in the squad in the hope he will recover from his injury, Australia cannot afford to carry another unfit player in Lee to the West Indies.

That would leave the defending champions with only 12 available for the start of competition, with vice-captain Adam Gilchrist due to arrive late paternity leave and doubts lingering over Ponting back and batsman Michael Clarke hip.

Ponting had cortisone injections last week to reduce inflammation caused by bone spurs on his spine and was left out of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series to give him some rest.

Clarke is another injury concern after he returned home early from New Zealand for treatment on a hip complaint he has been carrying since the tri-series finals.

Clearly, momentum is not with the Australian team going into the World Cup. Should Lee not make it, Australia will look to erratic quick Shaun Tait to be his replacement. Tait was preferred to Ashes bowling hero Stuart Clark in the original squad, but Lee8217;s misfortune may yet open the way for a late call-up for Clark.

Selectors also found room for back-up wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin, with Gilchrist gaining permission to travel three days late as his wife is expecting their third child.

No reason to panic: Hussey

MELBOURNE: Australia8217;s stand-in skipper Mike Hussey has asked the national selectors not to panic on the string of loses ahead of their World Cup title defence and show trust in the team to fight its way back to the top.

Australia slumped to their second consecutive one-day defeat against New Zealand8212; their fourth loss in as many ODIs 8212; which knocked the World Champions from the top spot in one-day rankings for the first time since the listings began in 2002.

8220;It certainly hurts. We pride ourselves on being the No 1 team in the world and we pride ourselves on trying to get better to keep the gap between one and two higher8221; Hussey was quoted as saying in The Australian.

8220;We can8217;t afford to panic. We can8217;t afford to start making wholesales changes or anything like that. We have got to trust our personnel. We have got to trust our own games, trust each other, and keep backing each other. I know if we keep working hard, we8217;ll be fine.8221; 8212;PTI