Former Australian National Cricket Team skipper Ricky Ponting has cautioned senior batsmen, Steven Smith and David Warner respectively, to be prepared for the depths of despair in the forthcoming 2019 World Cup. He has suggested the duo to prepare themselves for the worst while considering the hostile England crowd. At the same time, he is aware of their composed approach towards the game for Australia.
“They have to expect the absolute worst and then anything better than that is going to be a bonus for them. That would be the way I would approach it if I was them,” Ponting told Cricket Australia digital.
The 44-year-old veteran batsman Ponting has warned the players. He asked them to be careful in the lead up to the ODI showpiece, starting on May 30 in London.
Australia to face a different battle in England:
The assistant coach for Australia Ponting feels if the situation would not be handled carefully things could derail during the twelfth edition of the quadrennial event.
“The hardest part for those guys is going to be the public perception of us, especially in England. They’re coming back into a World Cup in the UK – they shouldn’t be expecting too many pats on the back over there,”
Even though the duo is aware of the animosity, Ponting feels the duo could be taken aback on their potential return.
“I think they are well equipped (to handle the scrutiny). But I think it could be a shock for them by the same token when they come back,” he daid
However, Ponting clears the air that there is no grudge whatsoever within the Australian camp.
“I don’t think it is much of a challenge internally around the players,” Ponting added.
While talking about the possibilities of star duo reintegrating in the line-up, he further shed light on the potential threat to the team’s cause. He added the management has taken it into consideration, long back.
“You’d like to think that those guys are having conversations now. So, they’re not leaving it to the last minute. And just be exposed to this thing that could be derailing to a team. I’m sure this would have been talked about at a higher level for a long time,” Ponting asked.
Following a year-long sanction in the wake up of a ball-tampering saga in March 2018 at Cape Town, Ponting feels the duo will face the heat from the public.
Ponting-Smith needs to score runs for Australia:
The legendary batsman added they need to understand the severity and admit the fact in a bid to let things to boil down.
“They’re going to cop it everywhere they go. They’ve got to know that, they’ve got to accept that and understand that. The team needs to as well. Because that could also be something that could be unsettling for a team,” Ponting asserted.
Ponting reiterated the duo could get a leeway while accumulating runs on a regular basis for Australia. He added by scoring runs and winning games for Australia will certainly help Smith and Warner on their return.
“But at the same time, the way they’ll integrate themselves back in quickly and have some of the public helping them out, is for them to be scoring runs. If they’re scoring runs and the Australian cricket team is winning, it’ll be a whole lot easier,” Ponting inferred.
As of now, Australia is facing India in the five-match ODI series. Following a positive show in the previous two games, Aussies tied the series at 2-2. The Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi will host the series-decider on March 13.
Ahead of the kick-off of the 2019 World Cup, Australia will face Pakistan in the ODI series. It will commence from March 22.