Cricket Live

RICKY Ponting has received the selectors’ blessing to continue leading Australia in all three forms of cricket until the 2011 World Cup.

The chairman of the selection panel, Andrew Hilditch, said he will not consider dividing the Test and limited-overs captaincy in the forseeable future despite the unprecedented workload facing the Australian team and the rising reputation of Ponting’s deputy, Michael Clarke.

“Leadership issues are things that we always think about but we are really confident that Ricky will be more than capable of getting through to the 2011 World Cup and I know that is something he would like to do so I don’t see that as being an issue,” said Hilditch.

The selectors rested Ponting and two other senior players, Mitchell Johnson and Mike Hussey, for the limited-overs series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, and have reserved the right to hand the leadership to Clarke temporarily for overseas tours.

However, Hilditch does not believe there is a need to give Clarke permanent control of the limited-overs sides before the next 50-over World Cup either to prolong Ponting’s Test career or rejuvenate the short-form teams.

“We have been very careful with managing his workload in the last three or four years, and he really needed to have a break in our summer, which for lots of reasons was not a popular decision, but it was a pretty tough task to then send him to South Africa (for the Test series) and then go straight into one-dayers,” Hilditch said.

“It was pretty tough on him and he did very very well. For a few weeks, at least, he is getting a break now.

“From time to time we will look at his workload, particularly on overseas tours and try and keep it to a manageable level, but for key events Ricky is always going to be a critical member of the side.”

Among those key events is the Twenty20 World Cup, for which the Australian men’s and women’s squads will be announced tomorrow before the list of 25 Cricket Australia contracts is finalised for 2009-10.

Clarke has led impressively in the UAE, sealing his first series win as touring captain with an unbeaten century on Friday.

He has confirmed his status as Australia’s captain in waiting, and will receive more opportunities to lead even if the selectors are not ready to split the captaincy as they did by standing down Steve Waugh to appoint Ponting before the 2003 World Cup.

Clarke, too, has indicated he is willing to wait.

“Let me make clear, our captain’s back home and we can’t wait to have him back,” he said.

“He’s a fantastic leader and I’m stoked that he’s happy to give me these chances, give me these opportunities to get involved and learn as much as I can.”

Hilditch said: “In general terms, I think we still have a fair way to go in Twenty20 cricket and one-day cricket but there are some positive sides and that will only be added to when we get back to full strength.

“It creates opportunities, we’ve been able to look at other players and particularly when we are building up to a World Cup, which is still two years away, getting a look at other players also has it benefits.”

Source : theage.com.au