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THEY call Australia the lucky country - and here’s living proof as World Cup drinks waiter Mitchell Johnson toasts earning $180,000 for an eight-week holiday in the Caribbean.

While Australia won the World Cup, the left-arm paceman - whose first job was in a Townsville car wash - cleaned up alongside fellow bystander, NSW wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Neither struck a blow as Australia triumphed, the only two players not to get a game on tour.

They watched the cricket from the best seats in the house, enjoyed five-star resort-style accommodation and yesterday partied until dawn with their teammates aboard James Packer’s yacht moored off Barbados.

Both players were surplus to requirements as Ricky Ponting’s powerhouse side claimed their third straight World Cup win, but as a champagne-quaffing Johnson, 25, joined a beer-clutching Andrew Symonds and team stats analyst Richie McGuinness on the balcony of the squad hotel, the anguish at missing out on a bundle of wickets was not apparent.

Cricket Australia announced yesterday all members of the squad will share equally in the $2.71million prizemoney awarded to the winning team. It means that skipper Ricky Ponting, one of eight players to play all 11 games, will, like Johnson and Haddin, receive slightly more than $180,000.

Paceman Stuart Clark, who filled in for a resting Nathan Bracken in one match, was another to benefit, after being a late addition to the squad.

To be fair, Johnson is one of the most exciting pacemen in Australia and Haddin the heir apparent to Adam Gilchrist in the limited-overs team, and both were outstanding team men on tour. No one is denying them the right to their money, but it’s a good gig if you can get it.

The sun set on Australia still playing the World Cup final and it rose yesterday with the party in full swing.

Just like after their Ashes triumph in January, the Aussies piled on board Packer’s yacht to kick off the festivities with a long lunch.

The pace of the celebrations won’t slow down when they get home either, with a Sydney civic reception at Martin Place planned for Thursday following a sponsors breakfast.

The high farce of the moonlight World Cup final was a hazy memory for Australia, with only Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath called upon for an official photo shoot with the trophy on the beach.

But even that was light-hearted, with Symonds watching on and cheering from the team hotel clad in only his underpants and a winner’s medal.

A media conference was hijacked by locals, with children sneaking in to touch and pick up the World Cup.

Gilchrist said his most treasured piece of memorabilia from the night was a photo with retiree McGrath and Ponting. The trio are the only players to have won three World Cups.

“There are a lot of players who have played World Cup cricket who have not won one, let alone won three. To be part of that group was a huge thrill,” Gilchrist said.

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