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Light the blue touch paper and stand clear. Tomorrow's World Cup final should carry a government health warning: ``This game will not be for the faint-hearted.''

The two best teams in the competition will contest the final, Wasim Akram's Pakistan and Steven Waugh's Australia. Wasim versus Waugh is a contest in itself, one which will eclipse even the showdowns between Hansie Cronje and Waugh in two epic games in the past week. They are cricketers whom I admire greatly. They are men of stature, with tremendous presence on the field, world-class performers who represent the image and culture of the modern cricketer.

When the going gets tough, just watch Australia get going. After an indifferent start Waugh said: ``We need to win our last seven games to lift the trophy.'' He had not reckoned on the tied match against South Africa, but his side rose to his challenge.

Wasim's team wobbled at the start of the Super Sixes and he singled out Shoaib Akhtar for some gentle criticism, and said the batting at the top was not producing. Saeed Anwar responded with two cracking centuries.

In England we are making such a big play about who will be the next coach. It is not a big deal. Here we are at the final of the World Cup and I give you a quiz question: who are the coaches of the two teams? Answer: Geoff Marsh of Australia, who is unbelievably low profile; and as for Pakistan, well, I haven't a clue, he seems to change every season.

The teams' identity is very firmly with the captains. Both are fiercely proud and patriotic and will contest this final not for themselves, nor the team, but for the honour of their country.

Let us look at Australia first. They were dead and buried in the last over of the semi-final after being well and truly Klusenered. Yet somehow they kept their nerve and everyone did the right thing when the run-out occurred. It speaks volumes of the team - they simply

refuse to lie down. They have a real backbone with the two Waughs, Michael Bevan, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Warne and McGrath what a combination, two of the best bowlers the world has seen.

All the main players will relish the big stage that is Lord's, but don't be surprised if the supporting players upstage them: Adam Gilchrist, Darren Lehmann and Tom Moody can all boss the situation, Ricky Ponting will be awesome in the field and is striving for recognition as a batsman of the highest quality, and if conditions are right, Damien Fleming and Paul Reiffel will be a handful and not just support for McGrath.

Now for the helter-skelter, rollercoaster Pakistan team. I have had close contact with Wasim over the years through the Lancashire connection. The Lancashire players nicknamed him 'King' and no less a judge than Ian Chappell says that he is the best captain in the competition. He will be looking for a personal performance here, too, because he has never really fired in Lord's finals. This could be the one.

His team are accused of being volatile. Nonsense. Oceans of flair, unpredictable and very, very crafty, yes, but they have an uncanny knack of finding a few likely lads and giving them a game. Take Wajahatullah Wasti and Abdul Razzaq: I'm not sure all their team-mates really know them, but they are key members of the team after so little experience.

Shahid Afridi bats a bit, bowls a bit and can be very dangerous in the Klusener mould. Moin Khan is the most voluble wicket-keeper I've ever heard, and he plays shots down the order that haven't been invented yet.

Pakistan have the best opening batsman in the world in Saeed, Ijaz Ahmed can spank the ball to all parts, and then there's Inzamam-ul-Haq. He's the butt of jokes about running between the wickets - if he calls ``yes'' that is just a basis for negotiations truly Comptonesque, but he has great touch and is immensely powerful.

The competition's most talked about player is Shoaib. We had heard all about his pace and now we've seen it. He's the fastest bowler in the world and his approach to the wicket is breathtaking. The subtlety and guile comes from Saqlain Mushtaq, the best finger-spinner in the world, alongside Muttiah Muralitharan. Like Murali, Saqlain can move the ball 'the other way' and it's hard to believe that he's so young.

So, the Carnival of Cricket comes to London, Lord's will be shaken to the rafters. Different cultures will come together to make this cricket's greatest day. Nobody will be snoozing along to the gentle tap of leather on willow. This is cricket 1999 style - flags waving, whistles blowing, drums banging and bands playing nothing in particular. There will be the odd 'eskie' on view, too. Some of the best players in the world lock horns tomorrow morning. It should be a fantastic day.