Pakistan's opening batsman Imran Farhat rubbishes Ricky Ponting's 5-0 Ashes prediction
Australia captain Ricky Ponting's boast that his team could decimate Old Enemy, England, 5-0, in this year's Ashes series Down Under has not gone down too well with at least two of the once all-conquering side's rivals.
Jonathan Trott, England's No 3 batsman who scored a second-innings century in the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval last year, has countered saying the bragging will only put more pressure on Ponting's own side than on England.
Trott, whose maiden century in the decisive Test steered England to a famous victory, said his lone experience against Australia had taught him the Australians don't always win games they plan to.
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| Australia captain Ricky Ponting |
And, Pakistan opening batsman Imran Farhat ridiculed the 5-0 prediction, saying Australia, now ranked No 4 in the ICC Test rankings and in danger of slipping to No 5 (depending upon the outcome of the current England-Pakistan Test series in England), are not the side Ponting believes they are.
"Australia talk too much,'' Farhat, who was a member of the team that defeated Australia in the second and final Test in Headingley last month, is quoted as saying in a Sydney newspaper.
"I think Australia are going down now. We can beat them and England can beat them," the Pakistani said.
"Ponting is a very positive captain. All the time he is doing something. He is a very busy captain. He keeps changing fielding and disturbing the bowler. They talk too much. They try to disturb with the fielding. They don't sledge you in a personal way, but they do talk across you. It's not going to be easy but England can beat them over there.''
Trott said: "I don't know Ricky Ponting that well ufffd or what he would be meaning behind saying stuff like that.
"If I were to say something like that I'd find it would put pressure on me and the team more than if we just go about our business like I know we will. The thing is, I've only played one game against them and they wanted to win that game, but that didn't work out too well for them and it worked out well for us and that is all I can really say."
