Zimbabwe bank on spin to keep Aussies in bind

Zimbabwe consider spin department as one of their strengths and they hope to rely on it to restrict defending champions Australia to a low score.

Zimbabwe consider spin department as one of their strengths and they hope to rely on it to restrict defending champions Australia to a low score in their opening World Cup match here on Monday.

Spin is one of our strengths with which we could take on the Australians,which is a tough team. We ought to restrict them to a low score, off-spinner Prosper Utseya told reporters today.

If we are playing on merits,it does not matter who is behind the ball. Play it as you see it and play as positive as you can, he said.

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Asked about bowling on spinning tracks in sub-continent,leg-spinner Graeme Cremer said his side have watched a lot of Indian and Bangladeshi spinners.

We have watched Harbhajan (Singh) bowl. At what speed and what length he bowls. It is good for us. And on the last tour to Bangladesh (in December 2010) we saw how our spinners bowled and their spinners,and the tracks there are pretty similar to here, said the 24-year-old with 47 one-day wickets in his kitty.

It is going to be tough to play the first match of the World Cup against defending champions Australia. But I think the guys are prepared, Cremer said.

One of the most prolific players of Zimbabwe cricket,Grant Flower,who is presently the batting coach of the team,said that his side have learnt a lot from their Bangladesh tour in December last year though they lost the ODI series 1-3.

We have learnt from our mistakes during Bangladesh tour.

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We are a very well organised side now. We got some things wrong there by not playing the left-arm spinner well. But the guys have gone back and work hard on the game. I think they are aware of what is needed in the subcontinent, he said.

Flower said that his team has played both India and Bangladesh quite a few times and that experience could help them.

Bangladesh were tough to beat at home especially with their spinners. But it was good to get a feel of the wicket. I think that our batting order is quite stable now, he said.

The former player,who has scored 6571 ODI runs,said that his teams trait was spin and they hope to bowl in the right areas to build the pressure on Aussies.

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We have lot of good players of spin in the Australian side and the other sides. There are no obvious weaknesses,otherwise they would not be playing at international level.

Our main trait is spin. Hopefully we can get into the right areas and they might succumb to pressure, Flower said.

Flowers advise to his batsmen is,Assess the conditions and adjust to it as quickly as possible. Keep a clear head as there is lot of pressure in front of the Indian crowd,and try and enjoy the moment. Do not put too much pressure on ones own self. He said that his team have worked hard to face the pace attack of the Australians.

Australia has quick bowler which they would be using against us and there ought to be bowling short. Our guys are aware of that and they have practiced for that. We will have to see on the day if we have prepared properly, he said.

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Talking about the changes in Zimbabwe cricket,Flower said that it has come out of its troubles and now things were moving in the right direction.

Good overseas coaches who have come and helped raise the standards and worked out the new franchisee system. Lot of good thing are in place. Alister Campbell had come as a selector, Flower said.