KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (Reuters):

World champions Australia, who have lost their last five one-day games, will approach today's World Cup warm-up match against Zimbabwe as a full-scale international despite modified rules allowing each side to field 13 players.

"We are not treating it as practice; it's a proper one-day international as far as we are concerned," captain Ricky Ponting told reporters yesterday.

"Guys won't be out there having a net session and guys won't be out there taking it easy. It's a game that we have a chance to go out and win and play the best cricket we can."

Ponting, who missed the three-match whitewash in New Zealand last month because of a hip injury, returns to the side for the Zimbabwe match.

Australia also play England, who beat them in this year's tri-series final, on Friday. They will move on to their base in St. Kitts for the first round in Group A with South Africa, Scotland and the Netherlands.

Australia will take the field today without vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who arrived in the Caribbean yesterday after waiting for the birth of his third child, and the injured Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds.

Short-lived partnership

In the absence of Gilchrist and Hayden, all-rounder Shane Watson and reserve wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will open the batting against Zimbabwe in what looks like a short-lived partnership.

"We are looking to keep him (Gilchrist) out of tomorrow's game; hopefully he will be right for Friday," Ponting said.

Hayden, whose preparation this week had been confined to walking brisk laps of the outfield after he broke his right toe in the final one-day international against New Zealand, had extended throwdowns at practice yesterday and promptly struck several balls out of the Stubbs practice oval.

All-rounder Symonds, who tore his right biceps muscle in the tri-series, also had throwdowns in the nets and was driving freely by the end.

"Symo has come on really well in the last couple of weeks. He's done everything in his power and has trained really hard to get himself fit," Ponting said.

"Matty, it's the first time with a bat in his hand for a little while, these two guys are pretty competitive kinds of blokes."

Ponting said Australia planned to field their best available side throughout the tournament as they bid to become the first team to win the World Cup three times in a row.

"I don't really want to make too many changes throughout the tournament so hopefully we will nail down what we think is our best team and hopefully if there is a change it will just be one done for conditions," he said.

Australia meet South Africa, the team who have displaced them at the top of the world rankings, in the key first-round match on March 24.

"The South Africa game will be a really good game for both teams," Ponting said. "I think it will give both teams a feel for where they are. But we will worry about that when that week comes along."