Injury crisis in team is an opportunity for youngsters: Ponting
By ANIMonday, November 9, 2009
GUWAHATI - Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has said that the spate of injuries plaguing his team, has given a chance to young players to experience international cricket.
Moises Henriques, Clint McKay, Jon Holland and Burt Cockley, who were called in following injuries to Brett Lee, Tim Paine, James Hopes and Peter Siddle, had no international one-day experience before the tour to India, but the crisis has expedited their progression.
Ponting also said that early national call-ups would encourage youngsters to be supporters of international cricket ahead of the potentially more lucrative Twenty20 competitions.
“I’ve made no secret that I’m a bit worried about some of the attitudes of younger players, who were being attracted with the amount of money that’s around in the Champions League and IPL,” The Age quoted Ponting, as saying.
“I’ve made it very common knowledge over the last couple of years that I just hope the next generation of players coming through have the same sort of want and desire to play as much international cricket as I have, because that’s what it’s all about as far as I’m concerned,” he added.
Ponting, who retired from international Twenty20 cricket to play more 50-over cricket and better Test cricket over the next few years, further revealed that young players coming into the team be given a pep talk about where their cricketing priorities lie.
“One thing we always try and stress, as the more experienced players in this team, is just how much of an honour it is to get a chance to play for Australia. We really ram that home to the young guys coming in, and every young bloke I’ve seen come in has accepted just how big and special it is to play for Australia,” Ponting said.
“That’s my job and Huss’ (vice-captain Mike Hussey’s) job and Michael Clarke’s job, as the senior players in the side at the moment, just to keep reinforcing that to those blokes. Hopefully, they’ll want to do what some of our older blokes have done,” he added. (ANI)
