Australia Have Lost Aura Of Invincibility: Mark Taylor

By Vijay Tagore

Ricky Ponting

Former Australia skipper Mark Taylor believes that Ricky Ponting is the right man to lead although other teams have stopped fearing his men.

Q: Are Aussies on World Cup mode or still in Ashes gloom?
A: The Australian team is very much in World Cup mode. After the disappointment of the Ashes loss, they are playing good One-day cricket. They have put the Ashes defeat behind them.

Q: Do you think the invincibility of the Aussies is a thing of past?
A: The World Cup will be a big test for them. The teams around the world no longer fear the Aussies the way they used to four or five years ago. The aura of invincibility is gone but having said that, I must say the ODI side is very good. The other night, they chased 295 runs at the MCG. They still are world class players. Ricky Ponting will come back into the side after a break. So, he will be a better player. I think Australia still have a good chance to win the World Cup.
As the defending champions, they could be under pressure at the World Cup. Being defending champions could be a motivation for the side. They know that they don’t have the aura anymore. So they will be extra motivated to do well.

Q: Is Ponting the right man to lead?
A: Ricky’s best batting is behind him but he is still a very good player. The wickets in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are low bounce, so he should do well.  Also, he was part of four consecutive finals and three title-winning sides and will not be playing another World Cup. So he would like to make it five finals in a row. There is plenty of motivation for him. He is the right man for the job. He no longer has players like Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds… Those guys are not easy to replace. But you should look at a guy like Shane Watson who played a superb innings the other night. It was not a Gilchrist-type innings but it was very effective.

Q: What about the other sides?
A: It will be a close World Cup with at least six-seven sides capable of winning. India have a chance, so do Sri Lanka. Even South Africa, England and Australia have a chance as much as Pakistan and New Zealand. A lot of sides are closely matched. If Australia improve their bowling and fielding, then they are going to win the World Cup.
I think playing at home, sometimes, can be difficult because of pressure. But there is no doubt that India have got the side to win it. Dhoni is leading the team well and they have got the batsmen to score quick runs. They have got people down the order like Yusuf Pathan to score runs.

Q: What could be the key factor to win in the world cup?
A: The key factor will be to play well at the end of the World Cup. In my opinion, the World Cup is too long. It should be for three or four weeks not six weeks. The real World Cup starts only after the first four weeks. By playing too well in the matches you are expected to win, there can be a danger of losing way at the business end of the competition. The crux of the tournament starts late or mid-March. So to keep batting and bowling well till mid-March will not be an easy task.
Courtesy DNA