Australia arrived in the Caribbean as equal favourites with South Africa to win the 1999 World Cup, but they departed in a state of uncertainty. Was their failure to conquer the West Indies due to fatigue, failure to play to the best of their ability or aren't they as good as their publicity?One thing is for sure, when Glenn McGrath is not in the team the ability to unsettle opponents is akin to a bow without an arrow. The situation won't be quite as drastic in England where their string of seam bowlers will be suited to the conditions and runs will be hard to come by, but the lack of firepower must concern Steve Waugh. He'll be relieved that Shane Warne is showing signs of returning to his best and his combination with McGrath will be one of the most dangerous in the tournament. However, opponents will be boosted by the knowledge that if they can counter McGrath, then Australia's fire power is greatly reduced.The batting in the Caribbean was patchy and heavily dependent on lower order revivals led bySteve Waugh, Michael Bevan and Warne. This shouldn't be the case as the top order is loaded with skilful players and these problems will disappear quickly if Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist regain consistency.As well as being talented the batting order is deep, which is good insurance in case the pitches favor bowlers and then there's extra comfort in knowing that Bevan, the best finisher in the game, is lurking at six to hold the middle order together. However, opponents will be spurred on by what occurred in the Caribbean and they will double their efforts to dominate the opening pair, knowing that if they succeed, Australia is vulnerable.The bowling attack relies heavily on McGrath and Warne, but it has been chosen with England in mind and Adam Dale and Paul Reiffel will add to the potency. However, by loading the side with seamers the selectors have left Warne with no top-class spin back up and reliance on Bevan, Mark Waugh and Darren Lehmann is okay while the blonde bamboozler is fit, but if he'sinjured trouble will loom large.The Australian fielding is athletic and skilful with Ricky Ponting the best in the game when it comes to throwing down the stumps in a run out situation. Australia's fielding will save a lot of runs during the tournament and also boost an average attack into a good one. The athleticism will also show up in the running between wickets and this combination could be worth as much as a twenty run advantage to Australia in some games - a big margin in hundred overs.Steve Waugh's captaincy is steady and conventional and he relies on his performance as a player to inspire the team. However, the Australians have failed to win two finals because they became angry and the thought processes were clouded and Waugh's continued failure to address this weakness will prove costly in a pressure packed tournament. In chasing or defending a target, the Australians hold their nerve well and don't beat themselves in those situations.Australia's chances could hinge on their R&R in Bermudaon the way to the UK for the Cup. If they are well rested and have recuperated mentally, they'll be tough to beat and will deserve the equal favorite billing with South Africa. Being a resilient lot and well prepared physically, I think the Australians will be ready to go at the start of the 1999 World Cup and it will take a good side to beat them. The sides with the best chance of doing so are those that can counter McGrath, keep Warne at bay and rein in Mark Waugh and Gilchrist at the top of the order.The early dismissal of the openers usually manages to keep the target in check and not surrendering wickets to the main two strikers generally means opponents have a quality wicket or two in hand at the death to maintain a decent chase.There aren't too many side in the competition with the capability to counter Australia's class players. South Africa and Pakistan might and Sachin Tendulkar has already done it a couple of times on his own. If India reach the semi-finals they'll pose a genuine threat toAustralia.Glenn McGrathHe has improved over the years and is now one of the world's best. He attacks the crease from a straight approach and he has a high arm action. He bowls wicket to wicket and he has the ability to move the ball off the seam at good pace. He is aggressive and is not afraid to intimidate the batsman by bowling the odd bouncer. One-day cricket is about batsmen getting off to quick starts by hitting boundaries in the first 15 overs.McGrath is not easy to hit so there are two options available: Respect him by playing him out and keep your wicket intact, or attack him. He will not bowl many bad balls but he appears to get rattled if a series of boundaries are hit off him during an over. He could `lose his cool'. However, he does have the ability to come back in later spells and capture wickets.Shane WarneHe must be causing the Australian selectors some problems. Since his return to international cricket after his shoulder injury, he has not been as effective as hehas been in the past. The `flipper' has lost its sting and the the `googly' is not working that well. However, he is still bowling accurately enough and his leg spin is turning if the conditions are favourable. His formidable reputation is worth many more wickets as the batsmen feel threatened whenever he comes on to bowl. He is a bowler who likes to dictate and dominate, but gets frustrated when the batsman attacks him, especially with the cross-bat sweep shots. If a batsman can keep working the singles, hit some boundaries and annoy him by attacking, his rhythm and temperament gets disturbed. It is at this stage he can be dominated with his effectiveness being greatly reduced.
