Ponting targets clean sweep

by S M March 19, 2009

"It's really important to me, as captain of the side, and more so with a lot of younger guys around," Ricky Ponting said.

"I've been letting them know they can't take anything for granted in this game.

"I got to most of the young guys today and had a chat about putting last week behind us and moving on.

"(We are) starting from scratch and remembering the scoreboard is starting at none-for-none and remembering the things that made you successful over the last couple of weeks. It's important we do all that."

"We've had those three or four days away but since we've been back together as a group everything has been focused on being as well prepared as we can be for this game.

"We've won our last three Test matches in a row against South Africa. It's important that we forget that but remember the things that have made us play at the level we have."

He continued: "We're the ones that have been winning the dead rubbers of late. We've been on the other end of the spectrum.

"It was something we had to deal with a lot of years ago now. I think we've rectified it over the last five years, and we pride ourselves on the way we've been able to get ourselves up for every game we play."

He added: "He's got enough on his plate, anyway, with being a top-four batter and an all-rounder. He's someone who bowls 20 overs an innings for them. He's got a lot on his plate.

"I think we saw something similar when England came to Australia in 2006-07 and (Andrew) Flintoff was captain. When you're an all-rounder, you already have a lot to think about so that won't make his job any easier.

"But for us, all that stuff is irrelevant. We've been reading about what's been happening but when Thursday comes around, that will all be forgotten."