'Stick with this lot, they have the talent'

Australia

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels the current team is better than the Ashes scoreline suggests, and that the young players have the talent to do well as long as the powers that be stick with them and help them.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels the current team is better than the Ashes scoreline suggests, and that the young players have the talent to do well as long as the powers that be stick with them and help them.

Ponting, playing in the Caribbean Premier League for Antigua, retired from international cricket at the end of last year, but has been in prolific form both in the Sheffield Shield and for Surrey in England, prompting many a call for him to return.

But while he has been keeping an eye on the action from afar, he has repeatedly said he will not come out of retirement. He does feel that the current side can grow together, if given the chance, looking at how well England have done after a sustained period together.

Speaking from the Caribbean, Ponting said: "I have kept in touch with (the Ashes) and putting my biased goggles on for a minute, I think the boys have probably played a little bit better than the scoreline suggests as they have been in with a chance of winning three Tests.

"But the scoreline reads 3-0 and that is the difference sometimes between the really good and experienced teams, and the ones on their way up… the know-how to actually get across the line and to win games.

"England have got a really good team, an experienced team and their bowling group has been together for pretty much the last six or seven years now.

"There are some challenges there for Australia cricket but with Darren Lehmann's appointment as coach and some of the younger guys they have got around there I think there is enough talent but they are just going to have to learn and at the moment they are learning the hard way."

When asked about a potential coaching role once his playing career ends in October, Ponting said he was keen to help young players, but did not want to be a full time coach, as he retired to spend time at home.

Punter added: "There is no doubt I will stay in the game somewhere. There will be some coaching offers that will come my way and I am really interested in coaching. I'm really interested in helping out younger players.

"The state Australian cricket is at, at the moment, my services could be used in some way. We will just wait and see, but the one thing I do not want to do is to travel around the world for six or eight months a year."

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