Ponting promises an Australian summer special
Source: Agencies |
August 24, 2010, Tuesday
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RICKY Ponting said his Australia team is "on the brink of something special" and is set to dominate a home summer centred around the Ashes series against England.
After defeating West Indies 2-0 in its three-test series last year, Australia whitewashed Pakistan in all forms of the game before humbling West Indies again in its Twenty20 and one-day matches.
"I am looking forward to the next eight months of international cricket probably more than I have any period of my career," Ponting, who became only the second Australian skipper to lose the Ashes twice after last year's 1-2 defeat, said yesterday.
"I have been lucky to play in a lot of great teams ... but I feel the current team of players now is on the brink of doing something special as well.
"Going through the Australian summer undefeated last year was a great achievement by the team but we will be better than that in the coming months."
Australia heads to the subcontinent to play two tests and a one-day series against top-ranked test nation India in October before kicking off its home season with limited overs matches against Sri Lanka.
Despite beating Australia to win the Twenty20 World Cup and in its June/July one-day series, England would offer little new to ponder, Ponting said. "I guess the beauty about their side is that we have seen all their players a fair bit... There will be no surprises, as far as we are concerned, on what they can do."
Ponting also had a dig at England's reliance on overseas-born players when asked about Irish cricketer Eoin Morgan's Ashes prospects.
"I just have a feeling (England) really like Morgan, what he brings to their set-up - plus he's not English," Ponting said of the Dublin-born batsman. "I have got a lot of thoughts on why they pick those guys (non-England born players), it is quite surprising when you look at their side and work out how many there are."
After defeating West Indies 2-0 in its three-test series last year, Australia whitewashed Pakistan in all forms of the game before humbling West Indies again in its Twenty20 and one-day matches.
"I am looking forward to the next eight months of international cricket probably more than I have any period of my career," Ponting, who became only the second Australian skipper to lose the Ashes twice after last year's 1-2 defeat, said yesterday.
"I have been lucky to play in a lot of great teams ... but I feel the current team of players now is on the brink of doing something special as well.
"Going through the Australian summer undefeated last year was a great achievement by the team but we will be better than that in the coming months."
Australia heads to the subcontinent to play two tests and a one-day series against top-ranked test nation India in October before kicking off its home season with limited overs matches against Sri Lanka.
Despite beating Australia to win the Twenty20 World Cup and in its June/July one-day series, England would offer little new to ponder, Ponting said. "I guess the beauty about their side is that we have seen all their players a fair bit... There will be no surprises, as far as we are concerned, on what they can do."
Ponting also had a dig at England's reliance on overseas-born players when asked about Irish cricketer Eoin Morgan's Ashes prospects.
"I just have a feeling (England) really like Morgan, what he brings to their set-up - plus he's not English," Ponting said of the Dublin-born batsman. "I have got a lot of thoughts on why they pick those guys (non-England born players), it is quite surprising when you look at their side and work out how many there are."
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