By IANS
Brisbane : Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels that fast bowler Shaun Tait’s decision to take a break from all forms of cricket highlights the mental and physical stress the Australian Test players are facing being placed on the players, the media here reported Sunday.
“Obviously Taity has been run down for a long period of time. We never saw it. He is just the happiest bloke to have around the change room,” Ponting was quoted as saying by The Sunday Age.
“It’s hit me like a tonne of bricks … we’re all flabbergasted. A lot of people might think cricket is five-star hotels and living. It is very hard work to maintain that for a long time. You could probably ask Phil Jaques about coming in and not understanding how demanding cricket at the highest level really is. The fact people thought Jaques had the mumps after playing back-to-back Tests was significant. It’s no fluke,” the Australian captain added.
“You get run down and tired. It’s having a body and mind that can deal with it, and it isn’t easy.”
Tait took an indefinite break last week from top-level cricket after citing mental and physical exhaustion.
Ponting also insisted that the criticism following the aftermath of the Sydney Test match last month has forced him to tell his team to think twice before reacting to anything on the field.
“I’ve been shocked (by the backlash) because it has come from out of the blue,” Ponting said.
“It’s important for me that we’re also remembered for doing good things along the way, like helping kids (through charities) and the community and to make sure we’re doing the right thing by the game.
“We had an opposition captain question that a few weeks ago and it seemed to set off a chain reaction from people around Australia. If we can take anything constructive out of the last few weeks, we will. We’re not too good to cop criticism.”