Hansie's big game boys face the 'potato'

Sharjah - There was a noticeable intensity to the Proteas final net on Thursday, as the South Africans prepared for Friday's Coca-Cola Cup final against Pakistan.

"This team is all about winning the big games," said Hansie

Cronje after the mid-morning practice. "We lost against India in Kenya in the preliminaries of the LG Cup but beat them in the final; we lost against Zimbabwe in the triangular series in South Africa and then also won the

final, so this team has got into the habit of winning the big games."

Coach, Graham Ford, echoed his captain's sentiments, saying: "This has been an awfully long tour. I stressed to the guys that quality and not quantity was important today but they've come out and been throwing themselves around for nearly three hours which is really impressive."

Cronje clearly wants to round off the season on a pleasing note.

He will have to do it without Gary Kirsten, however, who, although he tucked in to jam and toast at breakfast on Thursday morning (rather than lying prone on his back), will not be partnering the effervescent Herschelle Gibbs at the top of the order. This honour will, according to Cronje, fall to Neil McKenzie, with Jacques Kallis slotting in at three and Cronje batting either himself or Mark Boucher at four or five respectively.

Cronje acknowledged on Thursday that settling into a unified top-six was still bedevilling the South Africans as the absence of Jonty Rhodes and the premature retirement from one-day international cricket by Daryll Cullinan have left voids that have expanded rather than contracted as the tour has progressed.

On the plus side Cronje said that the team's bowling and

fielding performances in the latter stages of the tour had been first-rate, particularly after they had struggled at times in India. He is known to be thrilled with the progress of his supplementary seamers - Nantie Hayward, Makhaya Ntini and Steve Elworthy, one of whom, unfortunately, will have to

sit out on Friday.

As far as their opponents are concerned, Cronje felt that victory would be a Pyrrhic one without Shoaib Akhtar, a man who seems to accummulate groin strains in the way other people collect stamps or bumper stickers.

"We are looking forward to Shoaib playing," said Cronje, "because if he doesn't we will feel that it has been a bit of a hollow victory."

Groin matters aside, Cronje believes that the Pakistanis' achilles heel is their batting, where he knows they can be put under pressure. He didn't mention him by name, but crucial in this regard is none other than Inzaman ul-Haq, a man once called a potato by an irate Pakistani supporter in

Toronto.

Potato he may be but Inzamam has a nasty habit of chipping away through the middle overs before launching himself spectacuarly at a target in the final overs.

South Africa will clearly be hoping that the potato doesn't sprout on Friday.