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We've learnt, says Ponting

Agencies

Posted online: Monday , January 14, 2008 at 1217 hrs IST
      

Perth, January 14:: Surprised by the public outcry against his team, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said his side would focus on improving their conduct to change their image of boorish and arrogant players.

Ponting said his team was determined to uphold the spirit of cricket and learn from their past mistakes.

"I have been surprised by the reaction of some in the broader community who believe we did not play that amazing Sydney Test in the spirit of the game.

"We take the spirit of cricket very seriously and are determined to ensure we are not only remembered as a good team but one that is respected throughout the cricket world for the way we play," he wrote in a column in The Australian.

The Aussies held a team meeting on Sunday to discuss the events during and after the Sydney Test.

"That is why I led a meeting this afternoon of our team and other cricket officials, where we revisited our spirit of cricket pledge," Ponting wrote.

He said the team has discussed the areas of improvement and would be careful in those issues.

"We looked back at last week's game and discussed little areas where we believed we could improve things. No one is beyond criticism or bigger than the game.

"Life's all about learning little things day by day, and it's no different playing in a successful cricket team. You always find little ways of improving yourself," he said. Ponting admitted he and Michael Clarke should have behaved better during the controversial Sydney Test.

"I know when I was given out in the first innings in Sydney, I should have left straight away instead of hanging around for a few seconds, and I know I should not have lobbed my bat into the dressing room.

"Michael Clarke also knows that he should have gone straight away too, after cutting the ball to first slip. He knows he did the wrong thing, but at the time he was just shocked at how he had got out first ball," he said.

The Aussie skipper, however, said his team did not commit any grave mistakes in the second Test.

"I believe there are no glaring issues we need to address, but when they are all added together in the heat of such a tense and dramatic final day, they caused a reaction, so we need to tighten up on how we play.

"We are very keen to ensure we get the balance of how we play the game right so we can focus clearly on another very big match coming up, this time the third Test in Perth, with the possibility of a record 17th consecutive win if we're good enough in this game," the Australian captain wrote.

Ponting said the sharp media reaction after the Sydney Test had disturbed him and his family but the support of Cricket Australia had a calming effect.

"The day after the Sydney Test, I got up early and went to play golf. I had played four or five holes when I took the phone out of my bag and checked for messages. I had a missed call from my wife, Rianna, so I rang her back and she was concerned that one of the newspapers had called for my sacking as captain," he recalled.

"I rang Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland straight away and got him to read parts of the story to me.

"At the same time he said: 'Look, let's get this all into context. You've got 100 per cent of my support and I know you've got 100 per cent of the Board's support.'

"I rang Rianna back and reassured her that everything was okay."

Ponting also appreciated his teammates for handling the volatile situation in the right manner.

"I have been really proud of how our guys have handled the situation. They haven't got into any sort of slanging match with the opposition. They have let things run their course," he said.

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  • Comments
     
We have learnt says Ponting
by lavachand on 2008-01-15 11:09:57.86618+05:30
They havenot learnt anything.Not only in this test series even in India during 70's the former catain Bill Lawry use to kick the ball while batting and they are not worth cricketers to discuss, even the home crowd has accepted and the whole team is upset.Even though they win the test everybody in the world came to know how they will win.Mr. Ponting and his team mates learn 'nothing in the world is as sacred as integrity of one"s own mind'.Even in India while in the Dias he has taunted the BCCI president by disrespectiing him while claimiing the cup by signaling him from his finger.He does not have any respect to any human being and that is the reason he and his team is not worth.It does not matter how they play.The Australian team has to realise when "CHARACTER" is lost everything is lost.Shut up ponting.
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We have learnt says Ponting
by mukherjee on 2008-01-15 14:02:26.631053+05:30
Never believe. It is just hog wash to clam down attacks on them by their own country men and players. Those who cheat repeatedly both during batting and fielding are compulsive cheaters!! History will repeat itself!! Team India just give them back on your own and don't rely of the BCCI. Save you souls!!
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do something to show the "spirit of game", rather than talking!!
by dr. roy on 2008-01-15 01:41:07.658243+05:30
Indeed if Aussises, want the world to believe that they are making progress in restoring the "spirit of the game", they should show some genuind gesture rather than some gobbledygook. The only to prove that is to make the results of the 2nd test in Sydney NULL and VOID. Let them turn into a new leaf.
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GIVE WHAT YOU GET.
by PRAVIN on 2008-01-14 20:23:23.058291+05:30
if you see the past behaviour with mentally subdued Indians visited Australlia, their b ehaviour was definitely rogue like. See the photos how Nadkarni complaining weakly against a foul language of aussie/NZ opponent? their so called civility is an eyewash. If you are not strong and united, if your media is only interested money making white peoples shoe licking, then you are gone. So be decent but firm and give what you get. Unfortunately the supremacist understand when you play their game their way. Of course we have some chamchas here in India,which side the Australlians and Newzealand etc.for obvious reasons.
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Ponting could request the ICC to cancel the wins in the last two test matches.
by Dr. Cajetan Coelho on 2008-01-14 17:19:00.194418+05:30
Ponting could request the ICC to cancel the two victories they earned in dubious manner in the last two Test matches. Such a gesture would be a genuine show of remorse and repentance for the ugly behaviour of his team mates. Shedding crocodile tears is much easier and no answer to the enormous damage the team has done to the game and to themselves and to their sports loving folk. Let us see if Ponting has the guts to come anywhere in the neighbourhood of the 'spirit of the game' by forfeiting the two wins. Howzatt !
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Aussies will never learn
by subbaraman on 2008-01-14 15:45:06.175063+05:30
Aussies have not learned and they will never. Otherwise, why should Clarke still claim that he had held Ganguli clean? TV replays clearly show otherwise. Is Clarke blind or refuses to accept truth?
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