Captain struggles in IPL ahead of Test tour

Ponting slump not an issue - Nielsen

Cricinfo staff

May 1, 2008

	Ricky Ponting has struggled in the IPL after an unusually quiet home summer © Getty Images

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, is not concerned about Ricky Ponting's lack of form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of this month's Test tour of the West Indies. Ponting struggled in his four appearances for the Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 20, 19 and a pair of golden ducks.

He returns to Australia this week for a training camp in Brisbane, starting on Monday, before the Test squad departs for the Caribbean. Nielsen said Ponting's failures, which followed an uncharacteristically quiet home summer, were not a major worry.

"He'll come back and I am sure the opportunities to bat outside against net bowlers over there in India will hold him in good stead," Nielsen told the Herald Sun. "It will be great opportunity for him to come back with cricket under his belt and start to knuckle down and get himself right for Test match cricket.

"He has only played four games over there. He had a good six-day break between his second and third games." Apart from Ponting, another six members of the 15-man Test group for the West Indies series have also spent the past fortnight in the IPL.

"They all understood the things I suppose they were compromising by going over to the IPL. They were giving up some time at home. But it's only been a couple of weeks over there. I suppose they were really looking at it as a chance to kick-start their preparations."

The players depart for the Caribbean on May 9 and they will have one tour match before the first Test starts in Jamaica on May 22. Two more Tests follow before the limited-overs portion of the trip begins in Barbados on June 20.

© Cricinfo

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