Cricket: Ponting on the Defensive

Storms are forecast in Bangladesh this week but the Australia captain Ricky Ponting was busy trying to control one of his own making yesterday when he hastily retracted his suggestion that the hosts do not deserve Test status.

"Looking back, I think I was wrong with what I said," Ponting said, ahead of the start tomorrow of the first of Australia's two Tests in the south Asian nation. "I think I was speaking from an ideal world point of view, and not putting much [emphasis] into the growth of the game in world cricket, that is where I made the mistake. Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward because that's what it is all about."

Bangladesh have lost 37 of their 42 Tests since earning that status in 2000 and suffered innings defeats in their only two previous attempts against Australia. "It's very difficult to judge them as we haven't played enough Test matches against them," said Ponting. "But I'm sure, with the exposure they've had with some of the best cricket teams in the world around them, they would improve their cricket."

The Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar insisted that his side is confident of upsetting the odds, either in the Tests or the three limited-overs internationals. "True, they have lot of world class players and they have been dominating Test cricket for many years," he said. "We respect them fully but we are not afraid at all. We've nothing to lose, everything to gain. It will be a great motivation for us."

Australia yesterday named the former Test batsman Andrew Hilditch as their new chairman of selectors, replacing Trevor Hohns.