Ponting worried about hosting the Ashes at home
Ricky Ponting, the current captain of the Australian cricket team is one of the finest players in the history of cricket. The right handed batsman made his first-class debut in 1992 when he was merely eighteen years old. As years went by, Ponting proved himself to be a potent force with the bat and a player of immense leadership capabilities.
However, the player faces a daunting situation in the next few months. To prepare for the Ashes against an in-form English side, Ponting feels that the tour to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 was just perfect preparation.
The Ashes, as we know, is a test series played between England and Australia. Since 1882, the series has been consistently played between the two teams and forms the oldest rivalry in the sport till date. It is one of the most celebrated events in cricketing history due to its competitive nature of cricket. The series is played after every 12 to 18 months and attracts viewers from all across the cricketing globe. The Ashes is structured on a 5 test match basis and whoever wins the tour, takes the trophy home. In the case of a draw, the trophy remains with the previous champion.
This year, the series is going to be played in Australia. Although both countries take part in it, it is hardly ever held in Australia. The series will feature the usual five matches, starting at the Gabba in Brisbane on the 25th of November. As was the case in the 2006/07 season, Adelaide and Perth will host the second and third Tests. England will then play 3 day warm-up games against first-class teams from Australia before the start of the series and one in between the second and third Tests.
Ponting is worried about the series due to two reasons. Firstly, people are expecting Ponting to retire from international cricket which he has no plans to do so. The Ashes on the other hand is considered to be one of the most prestigious series for cricketers from Australia and England. However, players such as Ponting believe that the game has changed and there are other series to look forward to. The second reason that worries him is that with no Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adam-Gilchrist-c918, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in the team, Australia does look like a weak squad. Moreover, since the match is played on home grounds, the pressure to win is even more than usual.
“It wasn’t my best year last year - probably the most inconsistent year I’ve had, to tell you the truth, particularly in the Australian summer. I probably played a few games I shouldn’t have played through the middle of the summer last year, but that’s the way it goes,” Ponting said.
Ponting is working hard on the team. The Aussie captain is not too worried about the retirement of the old players as the new talent for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 has come out with all guns blazing. Moreover, the advantage of older players retiring is that as a captain he is able to bring forward new players to the international level. One thing that gives him comfort is that they have played against the same English side on a number of occasions. They know exactly about their opponents personalities, what gets under their skins and what makes them tick. With the retirement of the older players, Ponting is also expected to retire. Therefore, this series is expected to the most important Ashes of his career. If Ponting can win, he will be able to prove his mettle as an Aussie captain. Moreover, if he lost this winter to Andrew Strauss's team, he would become the first Australia captain to lose three Ashes campaigns in a row in more than a hundred years.
With only a few months left to prepare, Ponting has many hurdles to pass as the series start from January 2nd, right at the beginning of the New Year. The veteran captain told the press, “All those years behind me now. I have got a really big period of cricket coming up with an Ashes series just around the corner and a World Cup soon after.”
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