The verbal clashes have begun.
Bring it on, says Punter
By Richard Earle and Michael Place
December 1, 2004
RICKY PONTING has warned the world’s fastest bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, that Australia has no fear of his bowling or his motor mouth in cricket’s showdown of the summer.
Australia yesterday completed it’s 2-0 destruction of New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman series leaving Ponting hankering for a spicy confrontation between the Pakistani thunderbolt and Australia’s dominating batsmen on the game’s fastest pitch in Perth.
Ponting said his players were craving the competition and were unfazed by the verbal taunts sure to flow their way.
“I think he tries to get under your skin a little bit, as he did in the last tour here of Australia. The good thing about it is we have had some success against him so we don’t need to build it up too much or say too much back to him,” Ponting said.
"He can do whatever he wants to put us off. It’s a bit of a challenge to us to be as strong as we possibly can and make sure we are doing the job with the bat.
“I am sure all those antics will continue on in this next series and I am sure we will enjoy it as well.”
Shoaib was unconcerned by Ponting’s remarks when informed about them at the team hotel in Perth yesterday.
“Let them talk but I want to talk with the ball rather than talk myself,” he said.
The clash with Pakistan will spice up an international summer, punctured by a struggling New Zealand unit that lost the second Test in Adelaide by 213 runs yesterday.
Ponting talks as if Shoaib does all the talking and the AUssies are poor victims! :rolleyes: Good answer by Shoiab though. :k:
, this is the first time he did not say any thing and i like it i like it i hope this time he will do from ball rather them mouth .