Symonds fitness achieves greater significance

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Mar 11 (Reuters) In the space of a week Andrew Symonds has assumed a significance to the Australia side greater than the sum of his considerable all-round talents.

Symonds's off-spin, a style he alternates with medium-pace, is now viewed as essential to Australia's campaign to win an unprecedented World Cup hat-trick on what are going to be slow, low pitches in the West Indies.

The problem for Australia is that Symonds has yet to turn his arm over since arriving in the Caribbean while he undergoes a rehabilitation programme after tearing his right bicep in the tri-series last month.

''I think we have been sort of expecting almost (Indian) sub-continental type pitches here,'' captain Ricky Ponting told a news conference during the world champions' warm-up campaign this week. ''We are ready and prepared to play on reasonably slow wickets.'' Symonds started the week patting back gentle throwdowns with a tennis ball. He finished by driving and cutting freely against a hard ball.

As the teams flew to Jamaica for Sunday's opening ceremony he appeared on course for the vital group match against the new world number one side South Africa in St Kitts on March 24.

''He is very important to us, full stop, no matter what aspect of the game we look at -- bat, ball or in the field,'' vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said.

RELENTLESS INTENSITY Rather as they did after relinquishing the Ashes to England in 2005, Australia have been preparing with a relentless intensity for the tournament after losing twice to England and three times to New Zealand in successive matches this year.

They defeated Zimbabwe by 106 runs in their first warm-up match on Tuesday followed by a convincing five-wicket over England on Friday.

''I think it's important to get a little bit of a winning feeling going.'' Ponting said. ''We have lost five games in a row, that's something this group of players is not that used to.

''We have a terrific feeling around the group, we have trained really well. As long as we keep training hard and the performances keep backing up our training then we will be happy as well.'' Australia possess the most versatile attack in the tournament, although they still might like to turn back the clock and let Shane Warne loose on the modern Caribbean pitches.

Shaun Tait has raw pace, Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark are naggingly accurate, Mitchell Johnson bowls fast left arm, Nathan Bracken medium-fast left-arm swing and Shane Watson right-arm medium pace. Brad Hogg, who took two for 28 from his 10 overs in the Friday's warm-up match against England, is the second spin option to Symonds with his left-arm wrist spin.

''We have got a lot of options, which says something about the flexibility of our side,'' Ponting said.

Australia's other injured player Matthew Hayden, who broke his right toe while scoring 181 not out in the final match against New Zealand, is expected to play in the opening Group A match against Scotland next Wednesday.

Vice-captain Adam Gilchrist stroked 72 on Friday having arrived late in the Caribbean after paternity leave while Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey are three of the most accomplished batsmen in the world in test or one-day cricket.

As ever, the fielding is consistently excellent.

REUTERS SAM BST1214