Threats of losing third Ashes series as captain are looming around Ricky Ponting but the beleaguered Australian captain is not entertaining any ideas of giving away captaincy role or retirement thoughts despite a number of calls from former
cricketers, including his former team-mates as well.
"I have not stopped for one moment to consider retirement. The question of my future as captain is ultimately a decision for Cricket http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and categorically the future of Australian cricket must come first.
Ricky Ponting, who turns 36 on 19th of this month, is just a Test defeat away from becoming the first Australian skipper in 120 years to lose the Ashes urn thrice in his captaincy. Having scored only one century in the last 33
Test innings, the once prolific Test batsman of Australia is not at his peak form. He however, is confident of scoring runs in the ensuing three Test matches against England.
"My absolute focus is on all the things within my control, preparing the team and myself to perform at our very best in Perth, Melbourne and then Sydney over the next three Tests," said the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tasmania-c854 batsman. "I have every confidence in my
ability to score runs and be the experienced batsman and leader that my team-mates can rely on," he added further.
Talking about his heavily criticised captaincy role, Ponting said that being captain of the side he is accountable for team’s performance. He also conceded that the most recent results of the Australia side which once ruled the perch of
international cricket are quite disappointing. Ponting opined that his top-most priority has always been the team and not his ego or the prestige attached with being the leader of Australia cricket team.
Ponting also admired the way Strauss’s men have played so far admitting that the performance of his side in the series have been poor. Australia is trailing the five-match Test series by 0-1. He was disappointed by his individual performance
as he said, “I haven't played the way I would like to have played, especially in Adelaide, but I don't think I'm that far away.
Former England captain Mike Gatting who last won the urn for England in Australia in 1986-87, asked Ponting on Friday to step down from captaincy to focus more on his performance as a batsman.
England is busy in a three-day tour game against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Victoria-c859 in Melbourne these days while the third Ashes Test commences in Perth from 16 December.
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