Cricket-Australia lick wounds ahead of World Cup tilt

MELBOURNE, Feb 21 (Reuters) Australia's shellshocked cricketers returned home today adamant they still have time to turn around a slump in form before beginning their World Cup defence next month in the Caribbean.

The world champions suffered a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, the rout completed by a one-wicket win for the Kiwis in Hamilton yesterday in which the hosts achieved the second highest run chase in one-day history.

It was Australia's fifth consecutive ODI defeat, and sixth in seven matches, after folding 2-0 to England in the tri-series finals on home soil and falling even further with their dismal showing in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy against New Zealand.

''I think we'd be lying if we said our confidence wasn't down a little bit,'' said stand-in skipper Mike Hussey, whose record at the helm stands played four lost four.

''But the spirit amongst the group even after the first two losses (in New Zealand) was very, very high. Maybe we need to be judged more at the end of the World Cup,'' he said.

''We certainly love having that aura about us and I don't think we will lose that.

''We just need to get out there and play some confident cricket and if we start winning again and winning well, I am sure we can get that aura over teams back again.'' DEMORALISED Australia have warm-up games against Zimbabwe and England in the week before they kick off their World Cup campaign against Scotland in St Kitts on March 14.

After New Zealand recovered from 41 for four and 116 for five to reach their unlikely victory target on Tuesday Hussey said he was ''demoralised'' but that it showed Australia they still had work to do before the World Cup.

To add injury to insult, opener Matthew Hayden smashed the eighth highest one-day score with a cavalier 181 not out but had the big toe on his right foot broken by a delivery from Mark Gillespie. He is awaiting the result of an X-ray in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Andrew Symonds (arm) and Brett Lee (ankle) are doubts for the start of the World Cup. Skipper Ricky Ponting and vice captain Adam Gilchrist were rested for the New Zealand series.

Veteran paceman Glenn McGrath, who will be making his international swansong in the West Indies, was confident Australia would recover.

''It wasn't the best tour for us over there in New Zealand but we would rather get that out of the way now a few weeks before the first (World Cup) game so we can work out what we need to do differently and turn it around,'' REUTERS AY KN1227