CA boss praises Australia's players

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has praised the national team's players for how they have coped with the loss of Phillip Hughes and still managed to go undefeated in all but one of their matches since his passing last year.

Hughes's death on November 27 meant the dates for the home Test series against India were adjusted to allow his teammates some time to mourn their loss.

Australia then won that series and took out the Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series against India and England before progressing through the World Cup.

The only hiccup for Australia was the one-wicket loss to New Zealand a month ago in their pool match at Auckland's Eden Park.

"We've come from the depths of depression, I suppose, from where we were in November," Sutherland told AAP.

"It was a very difficult time and every credit to the players and the way that they've responded and gotten on with their job, without in any way forgetting their grief.

"So we're here and congratulations on the great effort they've put in - all that hard work."

The Australians have carried the memory of Hughes with them throughout the summer, and skipper Michael Clarke on Friday posted a photo of him and his close friend on social media with the caption 'Who is coming to Melbourne with us?'.

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Clarke's post on Instagram

Sutherland noted both Australia and New Zealand, unlike many teams in the past, have coped with the pressure of hosting the World Cup.

"That burden of playing in front of your home crowd over the course of a tournament has been too much, I think, in nine out of 11 World Cups," he said. "So here we are."

Sutherland added that Sunday's final was a dream result for the two host countries' cricket bodies.

He also noted the final came just under a month before Australia and New Zealand marked 100 years since the Gallipoli landings in World War I.

"In the context of all the hard work we've put in, with New Zealand Cricket, they're great partners of ours in this event," he said.

"It's all come together and I think there's some extra-special significance, given it's only a few weeks before the two countries commemorate the centenary of ANZAC.

"It's one of the really special ties between our two countries."

The two teams will be fighting for just one piece of silverware on Sunday, with it being confirmed that the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy would not be contested in the tournament decider.