ODI axing might extend Test career: Ponting – Cricket News Update
Former Australia captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RT-Ponting-c2377, who was abruptly axed from the national ODI squad in the middle of the ongoing Commonwealth Bank series, is confident that his exclusion from the limited-overs side will enable him to prolong his Test career.
The veteran batsman is considered one of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746’s all-time great – he features at number 3 on the list of highest scorers in Test matches (having played 162 matches and scored 13200 runs), and at number 2 on the list of most runs in ODIs (having played
375 matches, and scored 13,704 runs).
Despite his superb performance in the Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 earlier this year, during which scored 544 runs, including two hundreds and three half centuries, the veteran batsman fell into a miserable batting slump mid tri-series, and registered disappointing
scores of 2, 1, 6, 2, and 7, causing selectors to drop him from the squad, and hint that his ODI career was all but over.
While Ponting called a press conference following the National Selection Panel’s announcement, he did not issue an official statement to confirm his retirement, claiming instead that he did not foresee a future for himself in the format any longer; though
he would continue to be there should the team need him.
However, in a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph, Ponting claimed that he was fairly certain he would never be called back to the squad for limited-overs games, but he was at peace with that.
“I am 37 so I am not sure they will turn back to me unless they have 10 injuries out of nowhere. I am fine with that,” he stated.
He had, however, previously expressed the wish to continue playing Test and domestic cricket, and even played for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Australia-c844 on February 25 – making an unbeaten half-century albeit in a lost cause.
While speaking to the Daily Telegraph, he claimed that there was no reason why his exclusion from the ODI squad should have a negative impact on his Test career, adding that it might even prolong his participation in the longer format of the game.
“It will give me a chance to really freshen up, be fit for every game I play. Be as fit and as strong as I have ever been,” he said.
With his future plan chalked out, Ponting has his eyes on the upcoming Test series.
"The next lot of cricket we will play will be in the Caribbean then we will have strong opposition sides in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 and an Ashes series not long after that,” the 37-year-old said.
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