Makeshift opening for world champion Aussies

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, March 6 (Reuters) World champions Australia will field a makeshift opening pair complemented by a full-strength bowling line-up on Tuesday when they meet Zimbabwe in a 13-a-side World Cup warm-up match at Arnos Vale.

All-rounder Shane Watson and reserve wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will open the batting in place of the injured Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, who was due to arrive in Kingstown on Monday after paternity leave.

The game is the pick of the four warm-up games on Tuesday. India face the Netherlands in Jamaica, Pakistan take on Canada in Trinidad and Tobago, while New Zealand and Bangladesh clash in Barbados.

After five consecutive losses, Australia captain Ricky Ponting has promised his side will go all out for victory against the weakened Zimbabwe side, who have lost nearly all their top players over the past two years.

With first-choice all-rounder Andrew Symonds also missing through injury, Australia will field 12 men, including pacemen Glenn McGrath, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait and Stuart Clark.

Brad Hodge, the form batsman in the side, will try to consolidate a middle-order place in the absence of Symonds (bicep injury) who is unlikely to play before at least the final group A match against South Africa on March 24.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said on Monday that his team would be taking their Barbados warm-up against Bangladesh at the 3Ws Stadium in Bridgetown seriously.

''It's going to take us time to get used to the conditions.

Practice wickets have been different already,'' he told reporters.

''The first couple of weeks are going to be about assessment and getting things right going forward.'' The Kiwis face England, Canada and Kenya in group C.

Pakistan have their first Caribbean warm-up against group C minnows Canada.

Injuries to their main strike bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif as well as influential all-rounder Abdul Razzaq have depleted their threat but they still boast a trump card in captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

He is second only to India's Sachin Tendulkar on the all time list of highest one-day international runs ith 11,665.

After their warm-up games here, Pakistan head to Jamaica for their opening group D matches against West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

REUTERS HSB PM1640