With New Zealand moving to equal second on the ICC's limited-overs ladder after Sunday night's victory over Australia, the Black Caps are aiming to dethrone their trans-Tasman rivals and play off for $1 million against the select World XI next September.
Australia had appeared certain to face the world team at Test and one-day level, needing to finish on top of the ICC table in both formats by April 1, 2005, to qualify. But given NZ's outstanding limited-overs form this year - a 17-2 record (with two no-results) from 21 games - all-rounder Chris Cairns believes the Black Caps are well-positioned to displace the Australians from the No. 1 one-day position by the World XI deadline.
"That would really throw a spanner in the works," Cairns said. "But when you look at it, we really just have to do well against Sri Lanka and Aussie at home and we'll be really close to qualifying as the top-ranking team for that rest-of-the-world game. That'd be a huge turn-up and the boys would be really fired up for it."
With another victory over Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series, NZ would move past Sri Lanka and into outright second on the table and a clean sweep would put it just seven points adrift of Ricky Ponting's team.
That would leave the Black Caps with five one-day internationals against Sri Lanka, then a further five clashes with Australia, all on home soil, before the World XI deadline.
The low, difficult pitches of NZ heavily favour the Black Caps, who have won 19 of their past 25 one-day internationals, including 10 of their past 12 against Pakistan, England, India and South Africa at home.
Australia, meanwhile, will play six one-dayers against the West Indies and Pakistan this summer then, results pending, contest a best-of-three finals series before heading to NZ.
And following Sunday night's four-wicket loss, the Australians will now be acutely aware that any form downturn could result in demotion on the one-day table, as well as a missed chance to play for $US750,000 against the World XI in three one-dayers next year.