Melbourne : Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and Indian Premier League side head coach of Delhi Capitals says the rescheduled IPL in the UAE in September-October will help his country’s cricketers prepare better for the ICC T20 World Cup later this year.
Australia’s T20 side slumped to 4-1 series defeats against West Indies and Bangladesh in slow and low conditions on a winter tour missing a host of first-choice players, and the former captain said the results underlined the current lack of depth in Australian cricket.
Ponting, said it was necessary for players to “get back into the groove” ahead of T20 World Cup and the Ashes series.
Pat Cummins, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson and Daniel Sams all opted out of the West Indies and Bangladesh series.
“Those guys that haven’t played for three or four months now, they need to get back into the groove of playing high-quality cricket against the best players in the world,” Ponting said on SEN radio in conversation with Australia Test captain Tim Paine.
“No doubt it’s their best preparation to be in those exact conditions, playing in probably the strongest domestic T20 tournament in the world.
All the best players in the world will be there … and I’m not just saying it because I want some of the Australian players there at the Delhi Capitals,” Ponting added.
Smith missed the Caribbean and Bangladesh tours with a left elbow injury, and previously said he would prioritise the Ashes over the T20 World Cup
