Adelaide (Australia): Australian cricket coach John Buchanan said on Saturday no disrespect was being shown to England by fielding an under-strength side in Sunday's tri-nations series One-day clash at Adelaide Oval.

Captain Ricky Ponting and opening batsman Matthew Hayden will be rested from the home team.

Also missing will be high-order batsman Darren Lehmann, suspended for five One-day internationals after admitting to making a racial slur to Sri Lankan players during Wednesday's Limited Overs encounter in Brisbane.

The team was already without injured fast bowler Jason Gillespie and leg spinner Shane Warne, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Buchanan said Australia's thinking was that the side could be depleted through injury during the World Cup starting in South Africa and Zimbabwe next month.

"So we simply need to be able to give ourselves as many options as we can when we get to major games and put ourselves in situations where possibly we don't and cannot rely on certain players," he said.

"This is just another opportunity to do that. It's certainly not a case of being disrespectful to the opposition. In fact, we are doing it because we have good opposition and it puts players under more pressure."

The returning Adam Gilchrist was expected to open with Jimmy Maher, and New South Wales left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken seemed likely to line up.

Buchanan said there were doubts about all-rounder Shane Watson, troubled with a sore back. "He's got a bit of a niggle in the lower back," he said.

Copyright AFP 2001

Extras:
Lehmann suspended for 5 ODI ties on racial slur
Recurring back niggle forces McGrath to miss 2 games