Kiwis can upset Pak if they bat first

The Super Six points system was given credibility by Steve Waugh's magnificent fighting century at Headingley, but the format does requir...

The Super Six points system was given credibility by Steve Waugh8217;s magnificent fighting century at Headingley, but the format does require some fine tuning.

A semi-final line-up without the in-form Australians would8217;ve been a travesty and yet, for a while, it looked like the struggling Zimbabweans were going to cling to a spot by the finger nails, while Steve Waugh8217;s team were going to be on a fast plane out of town. The Super Six format is a good idea as it guarantees some tough clashes, but I don8217;t see why teams shouldn8217;t go into that section of the tournament with all the points they have gained from the qualifying stage.

If the teams had carried forward all points gained in the qualifying stage it would8217;ve meant that the India versus New Zealand match would8217;ve been the decider for fourth spot in the semi-finals and I believe that is the most accurate assessment of the teams at this World Cup. Thanks to Steve Waugh8217;s grit and determination the three best sides went through to the semi-finals and nowthe teams do battle in the exciting knockout stage of the tournament.

If Pakistan bat first, I can8217;t see the steady, rather than spectacular, New Zealand batting line-up being capable of chasing down a decent target against the talented and varied Pakistan attack. Wasim Akram8217;s bowlers are the best attack in the competition thanks to the addition of the talented Abdul Razzaq and the improvement shown by Azhar Mahmood. Mahmood has added a bit of pace and is now swinging the ball consistently and is much more of a wicket taking threat than he was twelve months ago. Razzaq would challenge Zimbabwe8217;s Neil Johnson as the best new allrounder on view at the World Cup. He bowls at a good pace around the 140 kmph mark and has shown himself to be capable of much more than just the pinch hitter8217;s role, which was the original reason for his promotion to number three.

However, if Pakistan have to chase, the steadiness of New Zealand8217;s seam attack and the tight fielding might provoke some more comedy capers8217; in therunning between wickets and then an upset is possible. Be that as it may, unless Pakistan commit suicide, they should be at Lord8217;s on June 20.

Who will join them?

As we saw at Headingley, there is very little between the other two teams, but that brilliant cricket match highlighted why the Australians feel they have the edge over South Africa. Hansie Cronje doesn8217;t have much variety in his attack and this is exacerbated by his captaincy style. Cronje relies heavily on playing a waiting game; put heavy pressure on your opponent and then sit back and wait for him to crack. This ploy will succeed consistently against lesser sides, but not against teams of equal or slightly more talent and especially one like Australia who is prepared to counter-attack. Now that Steve Waugh has shifted out of his conservative approach as a captain, Australia are a much more dangerous opponent and South Africa8217;s biggest nightmare.

South Africa had the chance to knock Australia out of the tournament when they had them 48/3at Headingley and they failed to tighten the noose. They will live to regret it. The South Africans were bitterly disappointed when they lost at the quarterfinal stage in the 1996 World Cup and that is how the Super Six format evolved.