Monday, August 13, 2012

Ashes revenge drives Ricky Ponting

Australian batsman previous Caption Ricky Ponting says his key inspiration to keep playing is the hurt of losing back-to-back Ashes series, as he works to stay fit for any more cracks at arch-rivals England.

Former captain Ponting, 38, could break Steve Waugh's record as Australia's most-capped Test cricketer in the 1st match of a 3-Test series against Sri Lanka in December, with his eye on creation the 2013 team to tour England.

Ponting, who was dumped from the ODI squad in February, has played 165 Tests, 3 shy of Waugh, his predecessor as captain, with a South Africa series ahead of the Sri Lanka showdown.

He told ABC Sport that the Ashes series defeat were what keeps his motivation strong, mainly losing crucial Tests at The Oval. No doubt about that. It's one of the main motivators I have right now," he said.

Every morning I get up and go to the gym and I'm pounding away at the treadmill, it's with some of the memoirs of The Oval on the last team of tours. They’re not things that go away easily. We've been very close there on the last couple of tours... haven't fairly been good sufficient and we were nowhere good sufficient for the last Tests over here.

I think all Australian cricketers have a point to prove to England and more significantly a lot to prove in England. Ponting has not played much cricket since the tour of the West Indies that finished in February, but Australia coach Mickey Arthur has back him to be a key form in next year's Ashes series in England.

Ponting said he was ready to fight for his place on the team. If there's a big shot out there better than me that am gulp of air down my neck and pushing me out the side, that's international sport," he said.

If there's someone better than Michael Hussey or David Warner that's the way it is. You have to be picking the most excellent team to win all game you play."

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