Sports
Australia have advantage due to home conditions: Stephen Fleming
Melbourne, March 28
Former New Zealand captain
Stephen Fleming on Saturday said the Michael Clarke-led Australia side
has a slight advantage because they know the conditions better than the
Black Caps.
Four-time world champion Australia face New Zealand
in the much awaited cricket World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket
Ground (MCG) on Sunday.
Co-hosts New Zealand entered the final of the World Cup for the first time with a victory over South Africa in the semi-finals.
"That
is not some Kiwi self-deprecation on my part, but rather an
acknowledgement that Michael Clarke's side has a slight advantage
because they know the conditions better than the Black Caps," Fleming
wrote in a column for the International Cricket Council (ICC) on
Saturday.
"The MCG is a home venue for the Aussies, after all,
and although a drop-in pitch nullifies that advantage to a degree, it
means the Australians will still have a command of things as subtle as
the effect of the wind or the angles of the playing arena."
But the 41-year-old said that the Black Caps can win.
"Yes,
Brendon McCullum's men can win, but as to whether they will, that is
absolutely in the balance with the odds favouring Australia - but only
just," he said.
The former skipper said that the Kiwis should not
be worried about the size of the ground but be excited at the prospect
of creating history.
"Instead, rather than being daunted or
overawed about the stadium, I expect this New Zealand side to be excited
at the prospect of creating history and to rise to the occasion because
the bigger the challenge, the more determined they have become," he
said.
Fleming said that it will be a good contest between the bat
and ball at the start of the two innings with both sides having
strengths in both the bowling and batting departments.
"I believe
the tone for the occasion will be set by the start of the two innings.
On the one hand it will be McCullum against Mitchell Starc and Josh
Hazlewood, and on the other it will be David Warner and Aaron Finch
against Trent Boult and Tim Southee."
The former batsman said the
ground's big boundaries will provide plenty of scope for veteran
spinner Daniel Vettori to show his full range of skills.
"The
good thing from a New Zealand perspective is that the MCG's big
boundaries will provide plenty of scope for Daniel Vettori to show his
full range of skills, and his ability with the ball means that, in one
area at least, the Black Caps are clearly ahead of their rivals," he
said.
He pointed out that whether the Kiwis win or lose, they have already made the country proud.
"Win
or lose, New Zealand's players have done their country proud but they
will want to make sure they leave nothing in the dressing room because
the chance to play in a World Cup final is as special as it gets,"
Fleming concluded.