Former Australia World Cup-winning skipper Ricky Ponting is of the opinion that the chances of the defending champions will depend on their ability to use their spinners well and also bat well against the opposition spinners. Australia has two important spinners in the form of Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon. Both are world class bowlers and has the ability to bamboozle any top class batters on their day.
Meanwhile, head coach Justin Langer had recently stated that the emphasis has been on playing spin better. They will be a relieved unit especially after putting up impressive performances against spin when they toured India a few months ago. The Aussies went onto win the series 3-2 and it was largely possible due to their steady batsmanship against spinners and also good spin bowling by themselves.
“The thing that will define Australia’s success in the World Cup is, one, how well they bowl spin and, two, how well they play it,” Ricky Ponting told The Telegraph on Thursday. That’s been their Achilles’ heel the last 12 or 18 months. With [Adam] Zampa bowling well now, Nathan Lyon’s obviously in the squad and Glenn Maxwell’s done a good job with the ball whenever he’s played.
“And I think some of our middle order is probably slightly better players of spin now than they were 12 or 18 months ago. With Warner there now and Steve Smith coming back in, the middle order looks a lot better against spin bowling than it probably was.”
Australia has been bolstered by the return of David Warner and Steve Smith who served a one year ban for their involvement in the ball tampering scandal. It will definitely put them in good stead as we near the showpiece event.
David Warner has stormed back to form with some exceptional batting prowess during the IPL. He scored 692 runs and finished as the leading run-getter of the tournament despite playing only 12 matches. On the other hand, Steve Smith has also been playing well and will look to make an impact during the showpiece event.
“They’re both playing really well. Steve Smith still thinks he’s not probably 100% fit just yet – but he’s not far away. And Warner’s been the dominant batsman in the IPL,” Ponting said. “Those two coming in, obviously they’re class players – they’ll have their fair share of issues to deal with from the crowds and stuff when they get over there. But they’re big boys. They’ve been there and seen it all before. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
Australia ODI skipper Aaron Finch has come under a lot of scrutinies in the recent past due to his indifferent form with the bat. However, he has returned to some form after impressive performances against India and Pakistan which they won coming into the World Cup. The return of form for Finch will surely bolster the top order for Australia along with David Warner.
“The fact that Aaron Finch has just had a bit of success lately as captain and had got himself back into the runs after a pretty lean 12 months with the bat, that’ll give him a lot of confidence going into this World Cup. To beat India in India for him as a captain is a big feather in his cap. They’ve got a really good chance – I’ve been saying that for 12 months. It looks like a lot of the work that Justin and the senior players have done around the group is starting to pay off.”
Australia has been nowhere close to where they used to be a decade ago when the whole squad was loaded with superstars. However, that isn’t the case now. After their downfall in cricket, Australia has roped in specific players in order to assist the team for big tournaments. Ricky Ponting was roped in to work with the national team ahead of the World Cup and share his experience with them.
Ricky Ponting has been the winner of 3 World Cups for Australia which includes 2 World Cup titles as a skipper of the team. He was a terrific skipper for the Aussies and his experience shared with the players might come in handy for them in the showpiece event.
“I guess that’s probably one of the reasons they’ve got me involved – having been around some successful World Cup campaigns. Tournament play is a different thing, it’s not just another five-game series or three-game series. This is all about a pretty long tournament of one-day cricket,” said Ponting of this edition which is following a format that was last followed in 1992 with a round-robin where all teams play each other before the semifinals.
“You’ve got to find a way to build your way into the tournament and make sure you’re playing your best cricket at the back alley. That’s one thing Australian teams have always done. They’ve tended to play their best cricket in the World Cups and when it has mattered in the big games.
“Australia’s got a very proud history. I know that’ll be something that will be spoken about within the group. But it’s also a chance for this current group of players to make a name for themselves on the world stage and a chance for them all to become World Cup winners as well.”