HARARE, May 14: Australia captain Ricky Ponting said on Friday his team's biggest challenge against a very inexperienced Zimbabwe side would be to maintain standards befitting the tourists' world champions status.

"That's probably going to be our biggest challenge...we have to be at our best to maintain the high standards we have set," Ponting told a media conference ahead of Monday's tour start.

Zimbabwe cricket union sacked former captain Heath Streak and 14 other players on Monday in a dispute over Streak's removal as skipper and the composition of the selection panel.

Zimbabwe have had to field a young side led by new captain Tatenda Taibu during Sri Lanka's current tour and are struggling badly. Against Australia they can expect to do worse.

Ponting said: "I want us to play the best cricket possible while we're here, if that means finishing games pretty early then so be it.

"A lot of the guys haven't played any cricket for quite a while and that generally makes you a bit keener."

Australia's team manager Stephen Bernard defended the team's decision to tour Zimbabwe despite an international political outcry against perceived human rights abuses by President Robert Mugabe's government.

"It's a cricket tour and that is how we are treating it. We are supporting Zimbabwe cricket and Zimbabwe cricketers," Bernard told journalists.

Australia, who arrived in Zimbabwe on Thursday, will play a three-day match against Zimbabwe A in Harare on Monday.

The first of two Tests starts on May 22 and the Tests will be followed by three one-dayers.-Reuters