Nothing can prepare England for bounce and pace of Gabba pitch: Ponting

MELBOURNE - Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has said nothing can prepare England for the bounce and pace of the Gabba when the first Test starts in Brisbane this month.

The Gabba has been a fast bowler’s paradise so far this season, with not even Queensland being able to cope with their own conditions during a Sheffield Shield match.

NSW fast bowler Mark Cameron claimed 11 wickets in a stunning performance which has earned him a call-up to the Australia A side as Queensland was bowled out for 75 and 96.Our record there is unbelievably good and we want to make sure we continue that on,” Ponting said.

“There’s been a lot made of England’s preparation, the fact that they’re here early and they’re playing lots of games, but they don’t play a match at the Gabba before the first Test,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

“They’ll definitely still find it hard to come to grips with what they’re confronted with in Brisbane day one,” Ponting added.

“With just a normal Brisbane wicket, visiting teams find it hard to come to terms with just how different it is up there,” he said.

“In my mind it’s been the best cricket wicket in Australia for as long as I’ve been playing the game. There’s always something in it for everyone. The fast bowlers always get something out of it, it spins late in the game, and it’s a great place to bat once you get in,” he added. (ANI)