Vaughan puts his faith in Panesar by AFP

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Player:	MS Panesar
Event:	ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 10th March 2007

 

England captain Michael Vaughan has backed Monty Panesar to have a major impact at the World Cup.

 

The left-arm spinner was the only England bowler to emerge with credit during a five-wicket defeat by reigning champions Australia in the teams' final World Cup warm-up match here at Arnos Vale on Friday.

 

Panesar, the eighth bowler used by England, took a miserly one for 16 in six overs, dismissing Shane Watson for 55 in what was the first Australia wicket to fall.

 

Earlier in the week England coach Duncan Fletcher talked of Panesar, appearing in his first World Cup, as a "second spinner".

 

But Vaughan was in no doubt about the value of the 24-year-old Northamptonshire bowler, who in nine one-day internatinal has nine wickets with an economy rate of under five an over

 

"I see what he's done in this game and within the team in the last year," said Vaughan of Panesar, the first Sikh to play for England.

 

"He's proved in one-day cricket he's going to be a threat. On these kind of wickets I can see him having a really good World Cup if he continues to play like this. He spins the ball and he's going to be a real attacking option for us in the field."

 

Although the rest of the bowlers didn't particularly distinguish themselves, Vaughan said he's formed an idea of his attack for England's opening World Cup match against fellow Group C heavyweights New Zealand in St Lucia on Friday, March 16.

 

"It was always part of our plan to give every bowler six overs today. We've done that and we feel we've got a little bit nearer to deciding what our best bowling attack is for these conditions."

 

The opener was encouraged by his own form in making a typically stylish 62.

 

The 32-year-old also insisted he hadn't suffered from the hamstring problem that meant he only played three matches during England's recent triangular-series triumph in Australia.

 

Fletcher had said beforehand that Vaughan would field for "20-30 overs". In the event Vaughan was only on the field for 17.

 

"That was to do with batting for two hours," Vaughan stressed. "Don't read anything into that. I'm fine. The week in St Vincent couldn't have gone any better for me."

 

Vaughan and Ian Bell (57) put on 116 for the second wicket. But both fell to left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg in quick succession, spaking a collapse from 122 for one to 168 for six.

 

"Me and 'Belly' were the biggest culprits because once you get to 60 on these kinds of pitches it's up to the guys that get in to get you an 80 or a hundred to get you to a big total."

 

But what was far more of a concern was England's sloppy outfielding, a reminder of how poor their one-day form had been before their unheralded revival in Australia.

 

"We didn't field well and maybe that's a little bit to do with the training we've done. We've tried to hit the guys with a lot of fitness and maybe that was an after-effect of all the work they've done. They did look a bit slow in the field.

 

"But the days going into the New Zealand game in St Lucia will be cricket-orientated so we'll make sure that we are really fresh going into that game."

 

With both England and New Zealand overwhelming favourites to qualify from a group also featuring minnows Canada and Kenya, the match between the two Test sides could have a bearing on their World Cup chances as the winners will carry two points through to the second stage, Super Eight phase.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)