Monday, February 12, 2007

Australia want consistency back

John Buchanan
Buchanan will quit as coach after the World Cup
Australia have been warned to address their shortcomings before the start of the World Cup next month.

Despite an impressive Ashes series whitewash, the Baggy Greens looked out-of-sorts in the Commonwealth Bank Series finals, losing 2-0 to England.

"I think it's important to find out where maybe there are some deficiencies, where we do lack some consistency," coach John Buchanan said.

"We would rather be finding that out now than sometime in the West Indies."

He said Australia should have beaten England in the triangular one-day series finals.

"Whether we want to say that there were selection issues, whether there's a World Cup issue, whether we're missing Andrew Symonds, whatever.

"We're a very, very capable side who should be definitely capable of beating England."

Some of the things that weren't working through this tournament, hopefully we'll gradually improve those a little bit under a tough competitive environment
John Buchanan

Buchanan has also told his players to expect a tough challenge in New Zealand in the upcoming Chappell-Hadlee series.

The world champions will be without captain Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, who will both be rested, while Symonds remains sidelined after undergoing surgery on an arm injury.

They could be toppled from the top of the one-day rankings if they lose in New Zealand and South Africa beat Pakistan in their final one-day international.

Buchanan said: "I expect we'll get a pretty torrid time over there. We're minus three players now for that tournament so it will be a difficult three games for us.

"Some of the things that weren't working through this tournament, hopefully we'll gradually improve those a little bit under a tough competitive environment."

Buchanan, who quits as coach after the World Cup, said he had no regrets about possibly motivating England to their stunning tri-series one-day finals triumph over Australia.

He raised hackles when he claimed last month the troubled tourists were not testing his world champions.

England made Buchanan choke on his words after winning their final three one-day matches against Australia, including the two tri-series finals.

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