Zimbabwe play up jinx factor

NOTTINGHAM, MAY 24: If any cricket World Cup team can claim to have a psychological edge over an opponent, then it must be Alistair Campb...

NOTTINGHAM, MAY 24: If any cricket World Cup team can claim to have a psychological edge over an opponent, then it must be Alistair Campbell8217;s Zimbabwe over Alec Stewart8217;s England. The African side, who only joined the Test-playing nations seven years ago, are England8217;s jinx team, having won five of the six one-dayers between them.

Worse still for the tournament hosts, they go into Tuesday8217;s crunch match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge fresh from being decimated by South Africa. That 122-run defeat 8211; or quot;hammeringquot;, as Chief selector David Graveney put it 8211; was so bruising that England have asked sports psychologist Steve Bull to set up his couch in case the players feel they need help to cope with the Oval trauma.

Tuesday8217;s game is vital for both sides8217; ambitions of vaulting out of Group A and into the second round. A third victory for England 8211; they have already beaten Sri Lanka and Kenya 8211; would all but see them safe. Zimbabwe, victors over Kenya and India, are in a similar position.

Stewart lookcertain to reshape his seam attack on Tuesday by dropping Angus Fraser in favour of all-rounder Ian Austin. Fraser. The inclusion of Austin will also lengthen England8217;s batting. Off spinner Robert Croft, meanwhile, may make way for Adam Hollioake, a batsman and fifth seamer, again to beef up the batting. Zimbabwe will look to the Flower brothers to anchor the batting. Pace bowler Henry Olonga will lead the attack while leg spinner Paul Strang will hope to exploit England8217;s weakness against spin.

Teams likely

ENGLAND: Alec Stewart capt, Nasser Hussain, Graeme Hick, Graham Thorpe, Neil Fairbrother, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Hollioake, Mark Ealham, Ian Austin, Darren Gough and Alan Mullally.

ZIMBABWE: Neil Johnson, Grant Flower, Paul Strang, Murray Goodwin, Andy Flower, Alistair Campbell capt, Guy Whittall, Stuart Carlisle, Heath Streak, Eddo Brandes and Henry Olonga.