July 09, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 5, 1429

MELBOURNE, July 8: Australian captain Ricky Ponting thinks that Test cricket — the game’s very traditional format — isn’t in an encouraging state, insisting that international players have a duty to provide entertaining competitions to ensure its future amid growing attraction of Twenty20.

Ponting added that he’d be open to the proposed global Test championship, but would reserve his opinion until he’d seen its format.

“A few 50-over games will make way for 20-over cricket but I’d hate to see it touch Test cricket,” Ponting said.

“Right at the moment, (Test cricket) is probably not in its healthiest state. I think it’s up to all of us to make sure that we’re putting on a good enough spectacle to bring crowds back to the game.”

Ponting further said that finding the appropriate formula for a Test tournament would be the biggest challenge.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but I think the logistics of it is going to be the difficult thing,” he stated. “What it does do, I guess, is make sure that every Test you play has a lot riding on it as far as points go.

“But I’ve always said that every Test match Australia play always means a lot to us anyway.”

Ponting is resting after undergoing minor surgery in Melbourne for a tendon injury in his right wrist that compelled him out of Australia’s last two One-day Internationals in the Caribbean.

His fitness will be assessed for Australia’s home series against Bangladesh starting next month and September’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

Ponting suffered the injury during Australia’s third ODI in Grenada on June 29.

“I did it about 20 runs into my innings and sort of battled through that with a few painkillers and taped it up,” he said. “I tried to get up for the fourth game but basically couldn’t lift my bat in the nets.”

Ponting, however, is confident that the emerging members of the squad will continue to pick up the slack in what he describes as a transitional period for his side.

“We haven’t got the old, wise heads to call on all the time but the blokes we’re bringing in are certainly getting the job done for us. Whenever you have a big changeover of players as we’ve had in the last 18 months, it’s very satisfying to continue to win games and win series.”

The master batsman identified the performances of the all-rounder Shane Watson, substitute wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi and batsman David Hussey as the most pleasing from the ODI sweep of the West Indies.

“All the guys who came in were some our better players through the tournament,” he said.—Agencies