da pinnacle： Ricky Ponting scoffed at the idea that there would be any element ofcomplacency in Australia’s approach to Friday’s game against Ireland
da apostaganha： The Preview by Dileep Premachandran in Barbados12-Apr-2007
No underestimating the Irish: “It’s another opportunity to impose ourselves on this event” © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting scoffed at the idea that there would be any element ofcomplacency in Australia’s approach to the game against Ireland, andpredicted that the stars of the Irish team would need to perform like theynever had before to even get a whiff of an upset.”There’s no such thing as complacency in the World Cup, it is just a mediaterm,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of international cricket, I have playedalongside a lot of very good players, and I have never seen that. I lookat [Friday] as another opportunity to impose ourselves on this event andshow everyone how good a cricket team we are. We will seek to go in forthe kill.”Three of Ireland’s starting XI have roots in New South Wales – “It willmake them look forward to doing well against us” – but Ponting was certainthat little would stand between his side and the victory that willguarantee a place in the last four.”They need five or six players to play cricket like they’ve never donebefore,” he said. “Stranger things have happened. Favourites don’t alwayswin, but if they do the things that they normally do to even 85% oftheir potential, they always come off best in these situations.”Australia brushed aside Scotland and The Netherlands with contemptuousease in the group stage, and Ponting expected a similarly emphatic displayagainst a side that have been the Cinderella story of the competition. Theonly thing in Ireland’s favour is the element of surprise, with theAustralians not having a great deal of footage to review to pinpointstrengths and frailties.For Trent Johnston, the Irish captain who watched as a fan when Australiastumbled on home soil in 1992, it will be a match to savour. “If you can’tget yourselves up for a game against Australia, then you should not beplaying in the World Cup,” he said. “We need to play at least ten to 15% better than we did against Pakistan. We have to bring our A gameto the park in every department and if even that’s not good enough at theend of the day, it is after all Australia against Ireland – professionalsagainst amateurs.”Having pitched his tent in Ireland years ago, Johnston initially workedfor a clothing label owned by U2’s Bono and took citizenship in 2003. Hehas few regrets about what might have been. “I did dream of playing forAustralia in the World Cup, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Irelandgave me the chance to play in the World Cup, and I am grateful for that.” We are under no illusion what awaits us tomorrow,” Birrell said. “Australia will come out trying to annihilate us. This is the toughestgame in the history of Irish cricket, but we’ve got to stick to our gameplans, to our processes and be disciplined. For Adrian Birrell, the coach, just being here is achievement in itself.”I had planned a holiday in Mexico,” he said with a smile. “I had tocancel that after we got to the Super Eights! I told the boys that bygetting through to this stage, they’ve given me the greatest present ever.There’s a great deal of satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment, thisis the result of the hard work of five years.”Having acquitted themselves with credit in previous games before the blipagainst New Zealand, Ireland’s main aim on Friday will be damage control.”We are under no illusion what awaits us tomorrow,” Birrell said.”Australia will come out trying to annihilate us. This is the toughestgame in the history of Irish cricket, but we’ve got to stick to our gameplans, to our processes and be disciplined. I’ve told the boys to just goout and enjoy the day. To play Australia in this awesome stadium will bean experience of a lifetime. We’ve had just one bad game in thecompetition, and even there, there were a lot of pluses.”Ireland will be hoping that Andrè Botha, the allrounder who is so centralto their plans, is fit to play after a hamstring strain, while Australiacould give Glenn McGrath a day off with Mitchell Johnson stepping in. BradHaddin might also get a game with Adam Gilchrist sitting out. Whatever the playing XI is though, they should be far too strong for an Irish sidethat must hope that their indefatigable spirit can bridge the massivechasm that separates the teams in terms of ability.
