Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has issued a stern warning to Pat Cummins and his team in light of their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. Ponting, a two-time World Cup-winning captain himself, expressed disappointment with the Australian team’s performance in their tournament opener against India. Australia’s batting lineup struggled against India’s relentless spin bowlers in Chennai, posting a meager total of 199 runs and ultimately losing by six wickets.
Ricky Ponting’s warning
Ponting shared these observations during an episode of the ICC Podcast, highlighting that Australia’s performance had fallen short of expectations.
“Australia, to me, looked to be a fair way off the mark, to be honest, in that game against India. You can’t afford to be zip-and-two (0-2) in a World Cup. We know how important it is to finish up the top of the table,” Ponting said.
Ponting’s hope in all-rounders and Adam Zampa’s vital role
Despite the lacklustre start, Ponting remains optimistic that Cummins and the team can mount a strong comeback, given the presence of numerous all-rounders in their squad for the tournament. The 48-year-old emphasizes the need for players like Adam Zampa to step up, especially after Zampa went wicketless in Chennai.
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“But I’ve still got full faith in their squad. It is a very good squad, a very talented squad. We know there’s a lot of all-rounders in that side. The other thing that I probably learned is that they’re going to need Adam Zampa bowling well. It’s as simple as that. With only Zampa and (Glenn) Maxwell as the recognized spinners in their playing XI for that first game, then a lot of the wicket-taking onus is going to come back on Zampa. It didn’t happen in game one,” the Australian stalwart concluded.
As Australia prepares for their upcoming match against South Africa in Lucknow, Ponting’s faith in their ability to reverse their form remains undeterred.
