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Ponting determined to turn form around
Embattled Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes time at the crease is the only cure for his current slump in form.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: March 04, 2008 09:52 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Melbourne:
The normally prolific Ponting failed again in the rain-shortened tri-series win over Sri Lanka on Friday, run out for 11.
It took his tally for the series to just 64 runs at 10.66, and follows a relatively unproductive Test series, where his only score of note was a dour century on a flat Adelaide pitch in the final Test.
Speaking here after Friday's rain-shortened win over Sri Lanka, Ponting said tricky pitches and good bowling had contributed to his run of outs.
He also revealed he had rejected an offer of a break from the Australian selectors, and said he was confident of turning his form around, starting with Sunday's tri-series clash against India in Sydney.
"I really do only think it's getting half-an-hour to an hour in the middle and every batsman says that," he said here.
"When you are in a rut you keep finding ways to get out.
"Hopefully it's on Sunday that I get that hour in the middle and a few balls from the middle and things will start to turn around."
Ponting's deputy, Adam Gilchrist, had claimed the skipper was feeling the burden of leadership during a particularly turbulent season, with the contentious Harbhajan Singh hearing, the uncertainty over the scheduled tour of Pakistan and the distraction of the Indian Premier League.
But the Aussie skipper, who has also been troubled by back pain made no excuses.
Ponting said he was doing extra work in the nets and was not prepared to accept the offer of resting from a tri-series match, even though Australia has already booked its place in the finals.
"I want to work my way through it and come through the other side," he said.
"I'm not quite through it yet, but I'll keep trying and I'll keep working hard. I have never thought of having a break ...physically, I have felt very good."
Embattled Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes time at the crease is the only cure for his current slump in form.The normally prolific Ponting failed again in the rain-shortened tri-series win over Sri Lanka on Friday, run out for 11.
It took his tally for the series to just 64 runs at 10.66, and follows a relatively unproductive Test series, where his only score of note was a dour century on a flat Adelaide pitch in the final Test.
Speaking here after Friday's rain-shortened win over Sri Lanka, Ponting said tricky pitches and good bowling had contributed to his run of outs.
He also revealed he had rejected an offer of a break from the Australian selectors, and said he was confident of turning his form around, starting with Sunday's tri-series clash against India in Sydney.
"I really do only think it's getting half-an-hour to an hour in the middle and every batsman says that," he said here.
"When you are in a rut you keep finding ways to get out.
"Hopefully it's on Sunday that I get that hour in the middle and a few balls from the middle and things will start to turn around."
Ponting's deputy, Adam Gilchrist, had claimed the skipper was feeling the burden of leadership during a particularly turbulent season, with the contentious Harbhajan Singh hearing, the uncertainty over the scheduled tour of Pakistan and the distraction of the Indian Premier League.
But the Aussie skipper, who has also been troubled by back pain made no excuses.
Ponting said he was doing extra work in the nets and was not prepared to accept the offer of resting from a tri-series match, even though Australia has already booked its place in the finals.
"I want to work my way through it and come through the other side," he said.
"I'm not quite through it yet, but I'll keep trying and I'll keep working hard. I have never thought of having a break ...physically, I have felt very good."
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