Australia quick Nathan Bracken believes the new ball may not be an advantage to fast bowlers at the World Cup.

Pitches in the Caribbean have tended to become slower as matches progress, making strokeplay more difficult the longer a game goes on.

And with all fielding restrictions in place for the first 10 overs, Bracken believes that batsmen will look to get their sides off to a flying start.

World champions Australia have won all five of their matches at the tournament so far.

But they were given a fright when South Africa openers Graeme Smith (74) and AB de Villiers (98) shared a stand of 160 in 21 overs as they chased a daunting 378 to win in St Kitts on March 24.

Australia held their nerve and dismissed the Proteas for 294, Bracken finishing with two for 40 from nine overs.

"It's a lot harder with the new ball than I thought it was going to be. In the South Africa game, they came at us hard.

"I know there are going to be games where they are going to come out hard on flat wickets and take us on and we've just got to be prepared forthat.

"The wickets just slow up a little bit and when the ball gets older and softer, it just doesn't quite come on as well," the left-armeradded.

"So the best time to go is with the new ball. We've seen that now, we know how to set up for that so we've prepared."

Bracken, 29, was a member of Australia's squad at the 2003 World Cup but didn't playa game.

However, he has since established himself in the side and is now playing an important role as

a member of an Australia pace trio featuring leading World Cup wicket-taker Glenn McGrath and express quick Shaun Tait.

During this tournament Bracken's seven wickets have come at an average of 18.57 apiece but his real value so far has come from a miserly economyrate of 3.71 runs per over.

Bracken said he and the rest of the attack are all better off for the ditching of the rotation policy although he added that it had played a useful role in the run-up to the World Cup.

"We do understand that it basically keeps us on the paddock and probably doing that through the summer has allowed us to bring the bowling lineup we have here without as many injuries as what some of the other countries have," he said.

"You enjoy it (now) and you start to get used to each wicket, get into your rhythm."