By IANS,
Melbourne : Australia might have faced a lot of flak for their brash on-field behaviour during the controversial home series against India, but captain Ricky Ponting is adamant that his side will continue with their aggressive approach in West Indies.
Ponting and the Australian team came under the scanner after the ill-tempered Sydney Test. The cricketing world, in an unprecedented outpouring of emotion, criticised the Kangaroos as ‘cry babies’ and questioned their commitment to the ‘spirit of the game’.
The situation boiled over with Anil Kumble saying ‘only one team was playing with the spirit of the game’ after the Sydney furore.
Ahead of the series against West Indies, Ponting maintained that they never crossed the line in the series against India.
“We know the right way to play and I think 99 per cent of the way we played our cricket last year was along that same line,” Ponting was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ponting said, with few exceptions, his side’s confrontational style of play is not detrimental to the game, and promised a hard-edged approach against the Windies, the report said.
He vowed his players will retain their aggressive approach throughout the three-Test series against the West Indies.
“That’s the way we as Australians know to play our cricket, but we’re also very aware of where the line is drawn in the sand. I think a lot of people chose to make a lot of things out of very minor issues in Australia last year, but, in saying that, last year is behind us. It’s all about looking forward to this series now.”
After his contentious catching agreement with Anil Kumble led to much debate, Ponting has not sought a pre-series catching agreement with his West Indies counterpart Ramnaresh Sarwan, ensuring all contentious decisions will be referred to the umpires.