CricketArchive

Ponting ridicules Trott's selection
by CricketArchive Staff Reporter


Player:RT Ponting, IJL Trott
Event:Australia in British Isles 2009

DateLine: 20th August 2009

 

The Australian captain Ricky Ponting has started to play mind games just before the final Test by saying that England's decision to select Jonathan Trott for The Oval showdown shows signs of "desperation".

 

Jonathan Trott has been handed a debut after the out-of-form Ravi Bopara was dropped in the wake of England's innings defeat at Headingley. The likes of Robert Key, Mark Ramprakash and Marcus Trescothick were all considered to bolster England's misfiring batting order before selectors plumped for South African-born Trott.

 

After Australia had won the fourth Test inside three days, Ponting is content to be posing England more headaches, adding that Australia had done their homework on the debutant.

 

"It probably shows a bit of desperation I guess, on their behalf, to be doing that," he reflected. "When we arrived, which is only a couple of months ago, everyone was talking about how good Bopara was and how much of an impact he was going to have on the series.

 

"That hasn't happened but we understand that Trott is a good player and we've had an opportunity the last couple of days to have a good look at him and the way he plays.

 

"We've spoken to a couple of the guys around the county scene that have played a bit against him as well, so there will be no excuses as far as our preparation goes against him."

 

The fifth Test will also likely prove to be Ponting's last on English soil but he admitted that, in a career spanning 15 years, he could not remember feeling so excited.

 

"I spoke to the other players before the first Test and told them I was excited about the whole series and how much it meant to me," he enthused.

 

"But this game now, I don't remember being this excited for a game. I was up at 6.30am wanting to get to breakfast, have the team meeting, get to training.

 

"I can't wait for Thursday to come around and I can sense that around some of the other players in the group.

 

"When we lost in '05, I don't think it hurt me any more than it hurt the next guy in the changing rooms and it will be the same this time around.

 

"We're all here together, we're all a part of it and all in exactly the same boat.

 

"It's a special series to all of us, and look, it might be my last chance to get a crack at doing it here but I'll just prepare as if it's any other game and hopefully go out and play as well as I can in this game.

 

"If we play our best cricket and it means we win, if we play our best cricket and it means we lose, then that's all we can control."

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