Lee is in a similar position. A front-foot ankle-tendon injury is not good news for a fast bowler. If he makes it to the World Cup it will take him some time to trust the ankle when he bangs it down in the delivery stride and the best Australia could hope for is a confident and fit Lee by the semi-finals.

Thanks to a dangerous mixture of arrogance and stupidity during the Commonwealth Bank Series, Australia fiddled rather than found their best combination

So where does that leave Australia? They had better start making their World Cup plans without Symonds and Lee and if either happens to be fit and in-form by the knockout stage it will be a bonus. The first priority is to settle on their best side. Thanks to a dangerous mixture of arrogance and stupidity during the Commonwealth Bank Series, Australia fiddled rather than found their best combination and then the coach John Buchanan incited the opposition by indulging in ridicule.

Now they are not only unsure of who are the best bowlers in the final overs, they are also struggling to find a spinner to take a wicket or two in the middle overs after the powerplays. This is a crucial role and if Australia can't find someone to do the job with Symonds injured, they'll constantly encounter big targets or have their totals, even larger ones, chased down.

The ideal build-up for Australia after losing the finals series to England would've been to travel to New Zealand and quickly rebuild confidence. To do this they needed Ponting to lead them back to winning form and not a fill-in leader - especially not one who is unsuited to captaincy. Having lost the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy on top of the Commonwealth Bank series, Australia is now not only an injury-hit side but also a team searching for answers and confidence.

Ponting has a huge rehabilitation job to do as captain and he has no choice but to treat the two warm-up matches against England and Zimbabwe as though they actually count for the World Cup. Confidence-boosting wins in those two games may not restore the team to outright favouritism, but it might help clear up that dose of World Cup fever that is raging through the side at the moment.

hello...i m from india and i m a very big aussie fan....i basically think the need of resting senior players and bringing in new players before the world cup has led to a sense of insecurity amongst all players....may be this is the reason they are not able to play their game.....in the last 12 months austarlia have been conceding so many runs....the worlds biggest 3 run chases have all come against australia...may be its time for them to appoint a bowling coach so as to do well in the world cup...!!!!!-meet

Chappell is right. Without Lee and Symonds Australia will struggle big time. If the opponents get rid of Ponting quickly, Australia will be in a big hole. Also lack of quality spinner is pretty evident. Hogg can't even defend, less taking wickets. McGrath is also a spent force in one-dayers.

Australia's performance slump is just an aberration. Once Ponting, and Gilchrist return they will be back to the winning ways. Australia are still miles ahead than most of the teams.

Australia's problem is the bowling... if Stuart Clark is considered 'too expensive' to bowl at the death, why not use his 10 overs in the early to middle stages ? If he removes 2 or 3 of the top players in the early/middle stages, even if he does go for 6-8 an over, there is a good chance that by the time the last 10 overs come around the other side only have 4 batsmen left (with a few taken by the other bowlers), which is getting into the tail in most sides. At the moment, Australia are lucky to have got 4 batsmen out before the 40th over.

Ian's made the point is made that a Australia will lose if Ponting fails. The Australian has become too reliant on him and needs to learn to succeed without him. In this respect game 2 in NZ was a partial success - despite having no Ponting, even as captain, and losing the toss, Australia still posted a record total. No one has given Australia any credit for this. It was really the late over bowling that let them down - in particular Hogg, who has never looked the part in this role. Who says you have to have a spinner in the side anyway?
Can someone explain why Stuart Clark in not in the side? Haven't the selectors made the same mistake as they did in 2005 leaving the best one day player - Hussey - out of the test side. This time they've left the best seamer out.

I agree with Ian Chappell. Australia are in a spot of bother. In a matter of weeks they have gone from being outright favourites to looking shaky. I feel it is the bowling that is a problem. With Warne no more in attendance and Mcgrath only a shadow of his former self, these crucial pivots around which the rest of the bowling - Lee, Bracken, Watson, Tait, et al - revolved, have come unstuck. Only goes to show how monumental the contribution of those two, has been over the years. That the Australian bowling attack is still to adjust is obvious. They managed in the earlier part of the commonwealth series, largely due to playing at home and on the back of the momentum generated by the Ashes whitewash. But now, it is all different and defending the World cup is looking an extremely challening proposition, especially since not just New Zealand but more so, South Africa look very menacing and capable to wrest the glory. Just one thought though. If there is one international side that can put the recent reverses behind and assert itself decisively again, it is Australia. Let's hope for the same.

Ian Chappell you need to show a bit of positivity toward the Australian line up. I feel this article puts a lot of pressure on Ponting and devalues the rest of the team. They still have a great line up, Michael Hussey is the World number one, one day player and I would like to know how you qualify your statement that he is unsuited to the captaincy role.

Indianapolis Colt's (NFL team )Head Coach, Mr. Tony Dungy once said...
To err once its an aberration, err twice and its a coincidence but, err thrice and its a pattern... Lets hope the Aussies haven't set themselves a pattern here...

I was at the game on Sunday at Eden park..I have watched cricket for 23 years..If Australia wants to win the world they need to pray that Ponting is fit right through.Hussey is certainly not in his league.
He had no idea how to stem the runs ,when the kiwis started getting on top,his field placings were bizarre and never going to work

Thank goodness for some common sense at last ! The Australian camp has been living in denial, especially when you hear comments like "We did fall off a little bit on the bowling and batting side of things" after losing by 10 wickets against New Zealand or of coach Buchanan being "pleased" with Australia's preparations for the World Cup after failing to defend 336 runs.....Australia are breaking records but for all the wrong reasons. Articles like this can only help as the Australian media have been far too soft on the national side.

Ian you are right up to a point.I think the defeats in New Zealand are overplayed,particularly Sunday"s.Imagine going to a major tournament without Lee, Symonds, Clarke,Gilchrist and Ponting and almost winning a crucial game !!That speaks volumes for the others like Hussey and Hodge who did a great job.In a narrow game fielding is key and Australia did not have Ponting,Symonds and Clarke.They have been struggling to make break throughs in the middle overs for some time now.Yes Hogg bowled badly but the selectors are to blame for this.He barely got a game when Australia were cruising in the Commonwealth bank series and the fact that Hussey did not have captaincy experience showed up in a close finish.Tait"s figures may not reflect it, but he looks like a wicket taking bowler and in case Lee is suspect Australia must look to him and Clarke to get the wickets.The wickets in the West Indies are an unknown quality and games may be a bit of a lottery.Australia not withstanding the crap that a lot of others are writing, have the capability and the mental strength to go the full distance.I still feel it is better to rest Ponting and co now rather than have them miss the World cup.

Ian Chappell has hit the nail on the head. Not once to mince words, his opinion is harsh and yet true. The Aussies find themselves in a real mess with less than a month to go for the World Cup. However, as a follower and supprter of Australia, I feel that they can bounce back once they have Punter back and believe in themselves. They have done it before (DLF Cup in Malaysia and the Champions Trophy in India) when they lost in the initial stages and yet came back strongly to win both tournaments. Come on Aussie come on !!!

Welcome to England's world, Oz.

Ever since the 2005 Ashes we have been without key players through miscellaneous injuries.

And isn't it amazing what a difference the loss of just a few players can make to a team?

I do find it extremely reassuring that Australia are struggling in the same way that England has been, and to some extent this does put the 5-0 Ashes whitewash into perspective.

An injury hit England team plays no worse than an injury hit Australia team.

In fact, as one other blogger on a previous posting put it:

Fully Fit England vs Fully Fit Australia = England win (Ashes 2005)
Injury Hit England vs Fully Fit Australia = Australia win (Ashes 2006)
Injury Hit England vs Injury Hit Australia = England win (CB 2007)

Kinda tells a story doesn’t it?

Ian, let's be fair, sports commentary is all about stirring the pot and inciting discussion, reaction and passion, but if you're going to criticise Mr Cricket at least substantiate your comments as opposed to slipping in a snide comment about his captaincy and leadership skills. There is no-one on that field who embodies the spirit of cricket and sportsmanship like the great Hussey. Do you not think that Ponting would have concurred with his appointment in his absence, and as you have stated, someone with the level of nous and judgement that Ponting possesses, must see the potential longer term. Just as we need to blood the younger players in an aging side, so too do we need to ensure that we enable others to learn by experience what is required of the captaincy role. Come on Ian, find that great Australian spirit in you and give a bloke a fair go! The losses of a team are not down to one person.

Great analysis from Ian. Brutal but very realistic. It is unfortunate that the Aussies now find themselves at the receiving end. But they are a great team and I sure they will work their way out.

Go the Kiwis, this team may have it's day finally as Australia like the All Blacks have come of their crest of invicibilty. The All Blacks are back at their winning best and the Black Caps will show everyone how to develop a team without the resources that Australia has. Australia is a great team and they will come back fighting but maybe it is to late for them to turn the tide sufficiently to win a third cup in a row. Maybe a little bit of humble pie is what is required from the Aussies as poor old Stephen Fleming has had to do in recent times and Sky sport Australia not even annoucing a loss on the news is typical of the general Australian arrogance towards sports. You can turn a loosing team into the biggest winner by getting behind your team.

Bring back Stewie Clark ASAP.The coach John Buchanan should show more respect to opposition teams and less arrogance.I don,t understand why the aussies always rest players and play around with the line-ups.After all they don,t have other jobs,they are professionals.Great sides win games having settled sides.I don,t think we should be too harsh on Mike Hussey..It is a team game!!Maybe Steve Waugh could come back and coach and mentor some of the players,it looks like some of them need some discipline.Bring on the World cup,the Aussies will bounce back.

Australia have done the same thing England did before the ashes in picking Shane Watson without proving he's ready to go and also keeping Symonds and Lee in the squad. And what was the point of giving Ben Hilfenhaus a go in the CB Series if you drop him when he bowls well? At least he's a proven bowler unlike Watson or Johnson.

Australia have long prided themselves on the depth of Australian cricketing tallent. The last six weeks of cricket have found that depth severly lacking.
Why was Ponting not rested for his back injury when it occured? - the Ashes were won. Why does Australia still treat NZ with such contempt that it must send a "A" team touring? and was this not the "A" team that was reciently touted by a certian T.V commentary team as being capable of sweeping many of the rest of the world teams aside?
McGrath's day is done for ODI's, Taking him to the WC is simply a "thankyou" from cricket Aust. for his years of service and to give him his swan song tour. Where is Stuart Clark?? Jaques is a good addition to the team but why has it taken so long? He will be a worthy addition to the WC squad. Hussey will become a good leader in time, but when give a mechanic second class spanners, don't except the nuts to be nipped up. Finally I must also agree with Fredda, why have the Aus media been so soft?
WC prediction, SA/NZ final.

Ian - as few weeks ago you espoused that the retirement of key Aussie players would, to paraphrase, "lessen but not undermine the team's domination at the top". Now we see in all its technicolour glory just how delicate and fragile the formulation of a top team is. For all the talk of boot camps, cricket academies and strong performances at State level, recent results show that the depth of the Aussie line up is extraordinarily shallow. When you lay off the dominant run-scorer and bloke with captaincy guile and replace him with a player who is technically proficient but poor/inexperienced in captaincy, then further replace a cadre of top-proven incumbents with a fistful from the next tier down, then you are liable to meet a pumelling at the hands of the opposition. Has anyone else spotted the ironic parallels with what happended to England in 2006?

Suffice it to say, Australia will bounce back. Diggers always do. Unlike teams from other countries, there is no acceptance of any position that is not #1. Look at it this way - this is the cricket equivalent of the "recession we had to have"...

I agree that it is all a bit of a worry. But I see people saying things like Hogg is no good or Johnson is not a proven quality bowler (unlike Hilfenhaus apparently)...What are you people talking about? Johnson has been very good in ODI cricket thus far in his career with an average in the mid twenties. Brad Hogg has also been great for Australia since Warne retired. He never seems to get the respect he deserves.

On another note, while Hussey was quite poor at the end of the game in regards to his captaincy, to say he is not good enough for it is a little harsh. The poor bowling is what let that game slip, not just Hussey.

To EJ -- Yes, Hussey does embody the spirit of cricket etc. -- he's a thoroughly nice guy and a brilliant cricketer. The failure in the Chappell-Hadlee series cannot be entirely laid at his feet. But his captaincy was not secure tactically. It is difficult to see who else could have filled the role. This is not even to blame Hussey, but to blame the selectors who put him in charge and rested the two most senior players.

The bowling has been below par! The batters on Sunday did a good job. It seems to me that Tait is a good old ball bowler, use him in the middle to late overs when he can generate good reverse swing not as first change. I would use Hogg as first change while the fielding restrictions are still in place and try to force some errors!!