Ricky Ponting says Ashes clean sweep 'absolutely possible'

[Roy00]

Ricky Ponting says Ashes clean sweep 'absolutely possible'

Ponting... ok he was obviously set up to make this statement..but FFS Ricky dont give them more motivation than they already have. hate this arrogance

Ricky Pointing says Ashes clean sweep 'absolutely possible'

August 16, 2010
Australia captain Ricky Ponting says it is 'absolutely possible' that his team could regain the Ashes with a 5-0 sweep against England later this year.

Ponting, who lost the Ashes for a second time as captain in the 2-1 series defeat in England last year, said the Australians had learnt from their mistakes and were a better side for it.

Australia have slipped to fourth, narrowly ahead of England, in the Test rankings after their 1-1 drawn Test series against sixth-ranked Pakistan in England last month.

But Ponting, who met Cricket Australia officials in Melbourne to map out preparations for the November-January Ashes series, is undaunted.

"It's absolutely possible. There's no reason why not," Ponting replied when asked about a 5-0 Ashes sweep.

"It's all in our hands. It's how well we play and how well we take charge of different situations.

"We've learnt from a lot of the mistakes that we've made.

"There's no doubt we made some mistakes in the last Ashes series in England that probably -at the end of the day - cost us the series.

"We know now that we're a more experienced and probably a better team now than we were then.

"We put that together plus we're playing in our conditions, we hope to win this series and win it well.

"I've got confidence in the squad of players that we've got that they are going to be good enough to win an Ashes series."

Ponting said England's form in winning the opening two of four Tests this month against Pakistan was impressive but added the tourists would offer few surprises this summer.

"(James) Anderson and (Stuart) Broad and those guys have really stepped up," Ponting said.

"They are coming together well as a team. We have to make sure at the end of the Indian tour (in October) that we have got everything in place to make sure that we're ultra-competitive against them.

"They (England) certainly have bowled well and they've had great conditions to bowl in as well, the English.

"We'll have a different set of conditions and a different ball when they come out here and I'm sure our guys will equip themselves really well.

"We know where we have to bowl to all of their batsmen. They've got no one there who's going to surprise us at all."

The opening Ashes Test begins at Brisbane's Gabba ground on November 25.

Ponting wants Ashes clean sweep - Cricket - Fox Sports

 

[Boris]

Re: Ricky Ponting says Ashes clean sweep 'absolutely possible'

The media took it away from him. I watched the press conference and it wasn't exactly a point he laboured, he said it once and went on.

What was he meant to say to the question asked though? If somebody asks if the cleansweep is possible - it always is no matter the odds - is the captain of the team meant to say "Oh, probably not. We'll end up losing a game or two and might win eventually."

It might seem a bit arrogant but he was cornered into saying it, as well as probably getting the orders to set up the verbal war before every Ashes.

The start of what should be a good, competitive series.

 

[Roy00]

Re: Ricky Ponting says Ashes clean sweep 'absolutely possible'

The media took it away from him. I watched the press conference and it wasn't exactly a point he laboured, he said it once and went on.

What was he meant to say to the question asked though? If somebody asks if the cleansweep is possible - it always is no matter the odds - is the captain of the team meant to say "Oh, probably not. We'll end up losing a game or two and might win eventually."

It might seem a bit arrogant but he was cornered into saying it, as well as probably getting the orders to set up the verbal war before every Ashes.

The start of what should be a good, competitive series.

he could've answered it better
how long has he been capt now?

he's a slow learner

 

[Beeswax]

Re: Ricky Ponting says Ashes clean sweep 'absolutely possible'

he could've answered it better
how long has he been capt now?

he's a slow learner

He'd be screwed by the press whatever he said, so he might as well give a positive answer. It's hardly in McGrath class of claiming stuff though.