Looking to improve our ranking: Ponting

CHANDIGARH: For a team which ruled world cricket for over a decade, languishing at No.4 in the ICC Test rankings is certainly not a familiar predicament.
Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting, naturally, is leaving no stone unturned in trying to rectify the situation. On Tuesday, he declared that the two-Test series against India, starting October 1, would be the first step towards regaining the top spot.
"Taking on the No.1 team in their own den is not easy," he said, "The present Indian team is not much different from the one which beat us 2-0 in 2008. But we are up for the challenge and will aim to win the series. Ranking does matter, and No. 4 is a not a familiar spot for an Australian side."
Australia are currently 14 points behind India and a 2-0 win will help the visitors considerably narrow the gap.
The Aussie skipper had a special word of praise for Indian batsmen. "India have one of the strongest batting line-ups in world cricket, with a perfect blend of defensive and offensive approach. Even without a quality batsman like Yuvraj in the side, the batting look very formidable," said Australia's most successful run-maker, adding, "But we too have some talented young seamers like Peter George, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, apart from Dough Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson, who are itching to show they are ready for top-level cricket. The batsmen too are capable of taking on any bowling attack. So we have every reason to fancy our chances."
Though Ponting has scored runs by the bucketload in every cricket-playing nation, India remains the only country where he has struggled. "It's true that I don't have much fond memories of India tour. Though I have done well in ODIs, scoring in Test cricket has its own charm. I have been working hard on my fitness and will hopefully get big scores this time around. However, despite not having much personal success, I have always enjoyed playing in India," he said.
With the Ashes starting on Nov 25 and the subcontinent hosting the World Cup next year, the Aussies are taking this tour very seriously. "A successful India tour will set the tone for our forthcoming campaigns," Ponting said.
Banning Pakistan will have a bad effect, says Oz skipper
Commenting on the recent spot-fixing controversy rocking Pakistan cricket, Ponting said, "Talking about Pakistan and fixing charges before such a major series shows the seriousness of the issue. I feel the ICC should get to the bottom of these allegations against Pakistan and sort things out. However, banning Pakistan will have a bad effect. We need a strong Pakistan side playing international cricket."
When asked if any Aussie players have been approached by bookies, Ponting said, "The issue has been more documented over the past few weeks. The Australian players have been properly briefed by Cricket Australia regarding these issues and we are educated enough to not indulge in anything that might tarnish our team's image. We haven't been approached by anyone. We also have total trust when it comes to security arrangements."