SYDNEY, Feb 26: Australia will gear their World Cup training sessions towards targeting star rival batsmen, coach John Buchanan said on Monday, as alarming statistics reveal their bowling woes.

Australia head to the World Cup in the Caribbean this week with figures showing that since the start of last year their bowlers have performed the second-worst of all the major cricket nations in the crucial last 10 overs of One-day Internationals, conceding an average of 6.64 runs per over in this period.

The Daily Telegraph said Australia have no one in the top 10 of bowlers who bowl at the end of games, a list headed by sub-continental spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) and Harbhajan Singh (India), who have done exceptionally well given they play most of their matches on small, fast grounds.

It said Australia have three of the six worst-performing bowlers in this situation, with Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee (out injured) all copping severe treatment from batsmen.

“These are not the returns of a side poised to win the World Cup, so Australia must improve immediately if they are to defend their title,” the newspaper said on Monday.

Buchanan said he wants Australia to plan more specifically for rival teams in the World Cup, with training sessions likely to include working on balls the team feels will maximise their chances of containing or dismissing star batsmen.

“It is a matter of making sure we do all the homework and do specific training to the team we are about to play,” Buchanan told The Daily Telegraph.

“That is a major area for us to concentrate on. If you are getting belted around the park all the time you have lost confidence.

“It comes back to being very clear on our opposition and having the ability to execute what we have to do.

“You have to know your rivals and train that way. We just have to make sure that area is improved in the World Cup.”

Buchanan said he is adamant his bowlers can recover from the three demoralising Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series losses to New Zealand earlier this month but could not deny his side's confidence had been jolted.

“There is a bit of ego battered more than anything else. At the moment it highlights our defence. It is something we have to get right.

“If our scores are not high enough we just can't defend them.”—AFP