Australian captain Ricky Ponting may continue after the Ashes series
Australian captain and star batsman Ricky Ponting is in no mood to retire from Test cricket after the Ashes Series. Ponting showed his desire to continue his Test career after Australia was defeated by Pakistan in England. The first challenge that will determine the future of Ponting is the Ashes Series. Australia will play on its home soil to regain the Ashes series. Australian chief selector, Andrew Hilditch, has also backed Ponting’s desire to continue in the Test format of the game. Ricky Ponting has captained the Australian side in 71 test matches. He is the second-highest run scorer of Test cricket after Sachin Tendulkar. Some corners of the media have suggested that it is high time for Ricky Ponting to retire since he has lost his spark. Ponting’s reflex action came under scrutiny after he missed out on some of his trademark pull shots.
"I'd be expecting Ricky just to be focusing at the moment on trying to win back the Ashes, which is the highest priority for him and the team," Hilditch said. "I suspect he hasn't thought much about his future past then, [the Ashes] is just a high priority for him at the moment. I'm hoping he achieves that goal and is playing well and wants to play on."
Last month, Ponting hinted that he might play in the 2013 Ashes series. Ricky Ponting has never won a Test series in England as captain and he would like to end his career with an Ashes victory in England. The 35 year old is in good health but his batting average has dropped in recent times. His test average for the last 10 matches is around 40 runs, including an innings of 209 runs against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755. Apart from that innings, his average is around 29 runs in last 10 Test matches. He was lucky in his 209 runs feat, since his innings began with a dropped catch.
Some media reports are suggesting that Ponting might drop his position to number 5 or 6, like Steve Waugh and Allan Border did at the end of their careers. Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 can replace him for the number 3 position. Chief selector Andrew Hilditch thinks otherwise, and believes Ponting will continue to play on number 3 position. "I'd be expecting him to play out his career at No. 3," Hilditch said. "That's where he's always batted, and played such a great role for Australia in that position, so I wouldn't envisage it changing."
Australia will next play a two Test match series against India on the subcontinent pitches. Legendary Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has criticised the Australian tour of India. Warne labelled the schedule "a shambles". Pitches of Australia are very different than the pitches of the subcontinent. Warne believes the tour will add no value for the Australian team. Australian management has, however, played down the criticism of Warne, and have said that it will be an ideal preparation for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, since the Indian cricket team is ranked number 1 in the Test format of the game. Hilditch defended the Australian tour of India and said, “Two hard Tests against India, I think it's a really good preparation. It will be tough, this is their first real break for a couple of years, and they are playing in somewhere we haven't been terribly successful. It's a real big challenge, it will be a monumental one for them, but it will get them very quickly Test-match hardened for the Ashes. All I can say is that preparation won't be an excuse. There's plenty of cricket."
The Australian cricket team is currently taking a two-month break, after which they will head towards http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Australia will have to get their act right against India, since the side will play an all-important series against England at the end of the year. Australian Test cricket revolves around the Ashes series. It will be curtains for the Australian skipper if he fails to regain the Ashes in his home-soil. The current time off will allow the injured Australian players to get in shape.
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