Australia’s form sends tremors around world](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
ADELAIDE, Australia (Reuters) - New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes Australia’s crushing victory in the two-test series against the Kiwis will send shockwaves around the cricket world.
“Every time they play this well it sends tremors around the world,” Fleming told reporters.
"There are teams like England who are licking their lips at the opportunity with the Ashes coming up (next year).
"They have played some good cricket and deserve to be full of anticipation.
"Teams are still measuring themselves against how well Australia are playing and improving the game, so it is a good thing.
"Some of their bowling during the test matches was superb. It was like having three Richard Hadlees and the greatest leg spinner of all (Shane Warne).
"But at some stage there has to be a group of players out there who can match this side, or the age and attrition of this team will cause them to fall by the wayside.
“Then again it is the ability of the young players (like batsman Michael Clarke) they have coming through is quite daunting.”
WORLD CLASS
Fleming said England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and fast bowler Steve Harmison had emerged as world-class cricketers.
“England are going to have to play extremely well if they are going to compete against Australia, but they do have the personnel to do that,” Fleming said.
Australia have held the Ashes since 1989.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his players were constantly striving to better themselves. Only two of the team who completed a 213-run victory over New Zealand in the second test on Tuesday, Ponting and Clarke, are under 30.
“We can keep improving. As long as we keep trying to improve ourselves as individual players every day, then there is no limits for this team,” the 29-year-old Ponting told reporters.
“The guys are very motivated.”
Ponting took over as captain after Steve Waugh retired in January. Australia’s only test match defeat this year came in their 2-1 series victory in India last month.
“We were challenged in India. That was a very hard tour for us and that was only a few weeks ago,” Ponting said.
**"We have had things pretty much our own way here for this test match but Pakistan are a very good side, a lot different side to what New Zealand have here.
“We will gear everything around being right for the first day of the first test in Perth.”
Australia’s three-test series against Pakistan starts on December 16.
Australia beat Pakistan 3-0 in Australia in 1999 and 3-0 in Colombo and Sharjah in 2002.
Ponting said facing Pakistan fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami would be a challenge.
“We are going to have a fast and bouncy wicket in Perth I’m sure against two of the fastest bowlers in the world,” he said.
“They are very dangerous. It will be a great challenge and exciting test cricket to see the fast bowlers off the long run and plenty of bouncers flying around.” **