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London - Brian Lara and Sir Viv Richards have chosen Australia as new World Cup champions. Clive Lloyd has gone for the outsiders, New Zealand.

New Zealand play one semifinal against Pakistan in Manchester today, Australia meet South Africa in the other in Birmingham tomorrow.

``Australia seem to have the momentum and I think they're going to go all the way,'' West Indies captain Lara told the dinner guests at the Savoy Hotel after collecting his award as Federation of International Cricketers' Associations Cricketer Of The Year award.

Lloyd, who had earlier been honoured with a special award for his contribution to the game, surprised the audience by picking New Zealand.

``I think New Zealand could just sneak in,'' he said to spontaneous laughter.

``Pakistan, South Africa and Australia are the teams to beat and it's a very tight situation at the moment. But if you look back over the years, it's often been the team that has just sneaked in (to the semifinals) that has won.''

He cited his own West Indies team in 1975, scraping through to the next round on a one-wicket victory over Pakistan; India in 1983 beating the West Indies in the final, and Pakistan in 1992 qualifying because of one point from a rained off match against England that they were bound to lose.

Sir Viv said on the BBC television programme, On Side, he had been ``backing Australia all the way'' – since the West Indies were eliminated, that is.

``They've been through their most difficult periods in the early stages and I just feel they will now go all the way,'' he said.