00:00In the last three series, they've got all the 50 catchers.
00:03Well, I wasn't counting in the other series.
00:07They are good catchers.
00:09They do catch a high percentage.
00:11But I don't care how good you are.
00:13Someone like Mark Taylor, who was a brilliant slipper.
00:15I don't care how good you are, in whatever area you play,
00:18you're not going to be perfect.
00:20I remember Bobby Simpson telling me when I was a young kid
00:23that if you catch 8 out of 10, that's tremendously high.
00:27I mean, you could say, well, okay, Mark Taylor put down a sitter.
00:30He caught a blinder yesterday.
00:32And that's what will happen.
00:34Maybe it's just one of those things that they drop more here
00:36than they do at home.
00:38So that makes winning that much more difficult.
00:41But if your batsmen keep on playing some poor shots as they have done,
00:45then it won't be so hard for the Australians to win.
00:48And how would you predict you've been
00:51following cricket recently all over the world?
00:55And you've seen the form, you've also known
00:57the ins and outs of the various players.
01:00Their strong points, their weaknesses.
01:02So, what is sitting here right now?
01:05What would you predict of the series?
01:07I think Australia will be tough to beat.
01:10Without Shane Warne, everybody thinks,
01:12oh, crikey, you know, the great bowler is injured, he's not playing.
01:15But the reason they are world champions
01:17is because they have a lot of very talented players.
01:21They have some good players who are mentally tough.
01:24They didn't get to be world champions through one man.
01:27Sure, he's a fine bowler, but McGrath's a fine bowler.
01:30You take the Warbrothers, Mark Taylor.
01:32There's some very good players there.
01:34And if you underestimate Australia,
01:37thinking that they're weak because there's no Shane Warne,
01:40then you're going to get a shock.
01:42Pakistan is a good side.
01:44It's very talented.
01:46It hasn't shown itself to be as mentally tough as Australia
01:49over a period of time.
01:52You've usually had quite a bit of infighting,
01:54either inside the team or without in committees.
01:57You've got one now about allegations of bribery, etc.
02:01And there's always something rumbling on in the background
02:03which takes away from the team.
02:07The team is trying very hard.
02:09I thought the performance in the Sahara Cup to beat India
02:11was a terrific performance.
02:14I think they're talented players
02:15and good enough to give Australia a good run for the money.
02:19And if they're playing together and playing at their best,
02:22they are capable of beating Australia,
02:24no doubt at all.
02:25They have enough talent.
02:27But talent alone doesn't just win you matches
02:29or a cricket series.
02:30You've got to have character.
02:32You've got to have mental toughness.
02:34You've got to have a lot of heart
02:35and you've got to play together as a team.
02:37And the one thing Australians do,
02:39they do play hard, mentally tough,
02:42and they play as a unit, as a team.
02:44They are not easy to beat.
02:47Well, Geoffrey, thank you very much for your very frank views.
02:50And I'm sure viewers will enjoy the views expressed by Geoffrey
02:55and would enjoy the match tomorrow.
02:58Thank you and khuda haf.
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