Australia will be a force at next year's World Cup, reckons Ricky Ponting

Ponting believes Australia have still got the best depth in the world and their 15 best players on a sheet of paper are as good as any.

Ricky Ponting assisted Justin Langer during the ODI series in England | Getty

Despite Australia’s recent fall-down in One-Day International cricket, batting legend Ricky Ponting reckons that the Men in Yellow will be a force at 2019 Cricket World Cup in UK.

Australia suffered their first-ever whitewash at the hands of England in ODI cricket last month. The world champions are currently in the midst of their worst ever losing streak, having conceded 16 of their last 18 ODIs. Moreover, they have lost their past four bilateral 50-over series (Australia’s most ODI series defeat on the trot).

However, Ponting believes Australia have still got the best depth in the world and their 15 best players on a sheet of paper are as good as any.

"One thing I do know is we've got still the best depth of any cricket nation in the world and I will continue to say that. We'll keep producing great players,” Ponting said at a Channel Seven promotional event, as per the quotes in cricket.com.au.

"It's only 12 months away from the next one-day World Cup. The last five games - (while) the results did not quite go our way, it gave an opportunity for some younger guys to get some games under their belts.

"There are 16 one-dayers to be played between now and the next World Cup. I'll guarantee you when you put the Australian group of 15 players down on a sheet of paper, that group will line up as good as any other team in the world," he added.

Australia will host both South Africa and India for three-match ODI series in the upcoming summer. Furthermore, the Future Tours Programme (FTP) of ICC suggests that Aussies will play a five-match ODI series against India and Pakistan away from home in February-March next year.

Australia are presently struggling with the fitness of their pace bowlers in addition to the suspension of their batting stars (Steve Smith and David Warner). The duo of Smith and Warner are currently serving their 12-month suspension for their involvement in the ball-tampering plot at Newlands in March.

Nonetheless, Ponting is confident that Justin Langer is creating a dressing room culture in which players will flourish in the coming years.

"The environment Justin Langer will create around that team will be a place that everyone will just get better, they'll just improve, they'll love the environment," Ponting, who assisted Langer during the ODI series in England, remarked.

"I'm really excited about what the future holds not just right now but for the next 20 years. We are a passionate cricket nation that keeps producing good players. We've got some seriously good players that at their best will challenge any team in the world in any conditions," he concluded.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 11 Jul, 2018

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