This one’s for Bali victims

Australian captain Steve Waugh will be motivated by the recent terror attack in Bali and the support of a warship crew when the final Test a...

Australian captain Steve Waugh will be motivated by the recent terror attack in Bali and the support of a warship crew when the final Test against Pakistan starts here tomorrow.

Even though Australia have wrapped up the three-match series with victories in the first two Tests, Waugh said his team will be highly inspired to win the last match and sweep the series.

THE SQUADS

Australia (from): Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Bichel, Nathan Hauritz.

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Pakistan (from): Waqar Younis (capt), Taufiq Umar, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, Hasan Raza, Faisal Iqbal, Shahid Afridi, Rashid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Zahid

Umpires: Steve Bucknor (WI), Srinivas Venkataraghvan (Ind)

Match referee: Clive lloyd (WI)

‘‘One is never short of motivation representing Australia, but we will be playing for the victims of the bomb attack in Bali and the soldiers on the warship we went to yesterday,’’ he said. ‘‘These people have supported us a lot so it puts the cricket in perspective. Having said that, a 3-0 sweep will be very satisfying.’’

Many Australians were among more than 180 dead and hundreds injured when a huge car bomb destroyed two nightclubs packed with foreign tourists in Bali’s Kuta resort area last week.

The Australians will take the field wearing black armbands and observe a minute’s silence in memory of those killed, Waugh said. He yesterday led his team-mates on a visit to Australian warship, HMS Arunta, which is on a peacetime mission in the area and is currently docked in nearby Port Rashid. Officers and crew of the warship are expected to journey to the Sharjah Cricket Stadium tomorrow to cheer Waugh’s men.

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The Test is crucial for Steve Waugh and his twin brother Mark, who have been under increasing media pressure lately due to their poor form with the bat. Steve Waugh has gone 16 Test innings without a century, a sequence that has seen his average fall below 50, while Mark has scored just 245 runs in nine innings this year. In the two Tests against Pakistan so far, Mark Waugh has made 55, 0 and 2. Captain Steve’s tally is 31, 0 and 0. Another failure by the beleaguered 37-year-olds, who have represented Australia in 277 Tests between them, is certain to raise speculation about the brothers’ future.

Australia shot out Pakistan for record lows of 59 and 53 to win the Test by an innings and 198 runs after having won the first match in Colombo by 41 runs.

Pakistan’s injury-hit squad, meanwhile, received a major blow when fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was ruled out of the Test with a sore back. Pakistan have already been hit by injuries to key batsmen Inzamam-ul Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Abdul Razzaq, while veterans Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar opted out of the series.

Hard-hitting all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who replaced Razzaq, will bolster the beleaguered team which may also field young bating star Hasan Raza.