KEY POINTS:
MELBOURNE - Stand-in captain Mike Hussey believes four teams will be the main threats to Australia when they defend their cricket World Cup title in the West Indies.
"I think the South Africans are obviously a very, very well drilled unit, Sri Lanka I think are going to
be very dangerous, Pakistan on their day are dangerous and the Kiwis have shown that they've been playing some pretty consistent one-day cricket as well," Hussey told reporters on Tuesday.
Australia remain favourites to win the World Cup for an unprecedented third straight time, but their odds have eased following the 2-0 home tri-series finals loss to England and the 3-0 Chappell-Hadlee Trophy rout in New Zealand.
They have also been hit by an injury crisis which has ruled pace bowler Brett Lee out of the tournament. Key allrounder Andrew Symonds is likely to miss the opening matches as he recovers from bicep surgery.
But Hussey, who took his record as captain of Australia to 0-5 with the series loss in New Zealand, said the world champions were at their best when they had been written off.
"There's pressure in international cricket, it's the World Cup, there's going to be pressure on everyone, we're looking forward to it," he said.
"I think the Australian team in general thrives on pressure and so I think the best of the Australian team will come out."
Paceman Shaun Tait agreed, saying the return of skipper Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist would galvanise the team.
"I actually haven't had a chance to talk to the lads about it but I'm sure that they're not too worried," he said.
"We've got Ricky and Adam Gilchrist coming back into the side so we'll be back as strong as ever."
One former player who thinks Australia's slump in form will not spur them to greater heights in the Caribbean is South Africa great Barry Richards.
Richards said Australia were a spent force and had lost their aura of invincibility.
"Ever since England won the triangular series in Australia, a lot of people have been saying that Australia are going to come back even stronger. I am not convinced," Richards was quoted as saying in Brisbane's Courier-Mail.
"A lot of the other sides see the Aussies as a team with stars of the past nearing the end of their careers.
"They now believe they can beat the Aussies - and none more so than South Africa and New Zealand."
Australia open their World Cup campaign against Scotland in St Kitts on March 14.
- REUTERS
