WORLD CUP holders Australia and ICC Champions' Trophy winners West Indies get the three-nation limited-overs VB Series going tonight (Friday Australia time) with both teams conscious of the potential effects of their vastly differing schedules over the past three months. While the Caribbean side are concerned about rustiness having been inactive since a dramatic two-wicket victory over England in the Champions' Trophy final at The Oval in London 3-1/2 months ago, the hosts are feeling the effects of a gruelling schedule that has seen them play nine Tests and eight limited-overs internationals over the same time span. Matthew Hayden is being rested for the first two matches, the talented Michael Clarke is nursing a foot injury, while there is speculation that vice-captain Adam Gilchrist will be given a break in the latter stages of the competition if all goes well for the Aussies in the early matches. It may smack of a degree of arrogance and disregard for the West Indies and Pakistan, the other team in the tournament, for Australia to be implementing a policy of rotation of their 14-member squad even before a ball is bowled, but the challenge is for their opponents to force the world champions into a rethinking of that strategy. Admittedly, they remain wary of the threat of Brian Lara and the West Indies captain seems in the right form and frame of mind to take on Ricky Ponting's men in the day/night opener in the spectacular arena that is the Melbourne Cricket Ground. ONLY WIN After a classy 116 guided his team to victory over Australia 'A' in Hobart on Saturday ­ his side's only win in three warm-up matches ­ Lara contributed 52 to the World XI total of 344 on the way to a 112-run defeat of an Asian XI in the World Cricket Asian Tsunami benefit match on Monday at the same venue. Yet despite the shaky build-up that included a seven-wicket hammering by Victoria in their opening tour match at the same venue and a 51-run loss to Australia 'A' on Sunday in the second of back-to-back matches at Bellerive Oval, Lara is encouraged by the work ethic of his squad under new coach Bennett King. "We've been working really hard," the captain stated after his team's two-hour workout in searing heat yesterday morning at the MCG. "A lot of attention has been placed on individuals working on all areas of their game. You have to put the (warm-up) results in context. Everyone is trying to improve his own game and the team game is suffering a little bit, but I expect us to have a plan going into our first big game against Australia ­ I'm very confident." King's impact on the West Indies squad is most noticeable at practice, coming as it does after the laughably half-hearted training sessions in previous years that have contributed significantly to the former champions' steep decline. HARD TASKMASTER Benefitting from an authority that none of his seven predecessors ­ all former West Indian players ­ ever enjoyed at an official level, the 39-year-old Australian has been a hard taskmaster so far Down Under. Yesterday's workout came just hours after a three-hour session the previous evening and the squad will be at it again on Thursday afternoon, all in a strictly regimented format that limits water-breaks and effectively bans casual time. Ricardo Powell showed his keenness to be involved, taking part fully in the workout despite only arriving in Melbourne early yesterday morning as a replacement for the injured Ryan Hinds. But for all of the optimism, Lara is very aware of the challenge of tackling Australia in conditions with which they are all too familiar. "Our seam bowlers used the conditions better than any other team in England a few months ago, but this is Australia and the pitches are more batsman-friendly, the bowlers are going to find it very tough to contain batsmen," he emphasised. "We know that totals around 200 won't be good enough. There will be big scores, so we've got to field well and bat well. We're comfortable chasing, as we've shown on a few occasions over the past year, so we'll back ourselves." Reiterating that the dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players' Association is now firmly in the past, Lara underscored the need for proper planning to complement the work being done at practice. "Not playing as a team in recent months is definitely a hindrance, so we've got to work on our planning," he said. "At this 11th hour, we've got to make sure that we get it together. We've got to get it into the heads of the players and make sure they execute it on Friday." SEAMERS MAY BE OMITTED With Powell to be considered for selection despite his late arrival, and given the well-documented frailties in the bowling department, there is every possibility that two of the seamers will be omitted along with the uncapped Xavier Marshall. Ian Bradshaw and Mervyn Dillon look set to share the new ball with Dwayne Bravo and Wavell Hinds in support. Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels ­ who were all effective in the West Indies' three consecutive victories at the end of the 2003 series against Australia in the Caribbean ­ will again be expected to provide the change of pace that could disrupt the tiring Australians' rhythm. Not that the Aussie captain and veteran pacer are short of motivation though. Ponting showed his appetite for runs is undiminished with a blistering 115 in Monday's charity affair and promptly proclaimed his desire to make 2005 a bumper year at a personal level. As always, the pressure and focus will be on Lara in the face of the impending challenge, but he asserts that the new coaching staff is making his job considerably easier. "I'm not going to worry about who's bowling no-balls or not getting the ball in the right areas because that's what the coaches are working on. It's my job, as captain, to go out there and get them to execute knowing that they're at the top of their game." TEAMS WEST INDIES (probable): Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Ricardo Powell, Dwayne Bravo, Courtney Browne, Ian Bradshaw, Mervyn Dillon. AUSTRALIA (probable): Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath. Reprinted from jamaica-gleaner.com