Ponting tips Symonds to fire

Andrew Symonds will earn his 11th Test cap © Getty Images

Buy this photo

View photo story

Ricky Ponting is encouraging Andrew Symonds to finally transfer his stunning one-day performances onto the Test arena when he makes his Ashes debut at the WACA.

Despite establishing himself as a key member of Australia’s one-day line-up, Symonds has always struggled to have the same impact at the longer format of the game.

Identified as Australia’s answer to Andrew Flintoff, Symonds has never really looked as comfortable in the baggy green cap as he does in the green and gold uniform of their one-day side.

But handed an opportunity following the shock retirement of Damien Martyn and the hamstring injury which has sidelined fellow all-rounder Shane Watson, Symonds has been given another chance to try and establish himself on the Test stage.

“I’m pretty confident in him,” revealed Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

“Right now he feels better about his game than he probably ever has before so that’s exciting for him. We all know what a great talent he is and he probably hasn’t shown it to his capacity at Test level yet, but we hope over the next few days we’ll see some of that.”

Ricky Ponting and Symonds have both fallen foul of the Australian cricket authorities
in the past © Getty Images

Buy this photo

Birmingham-born Symonds could have lined-up for the tourists in this series had he taken up an offer to play for England A on their 1995-6 tour to Pakistan, but was committed to establishing himself with Australia after moving Down Under when he was just one.

But it has been a far from smooth journey into Australia’s Test line-up, where he has been given his third opportunity to succeed having averaged only 19 with the bat from his 10 previous appearances.

His temperament has also undermined his chances in the past and was dropped from Australia’s one-day line-up during the 2005 series in England after turning up drunk on the morning of their shock defeat by Bangladesh.

When he is on form, however, he is a major match-winner and proved that by hitting 326 runs at a strike-rate of 90.55 to help Australia seal victory in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Damien Martyn's retirement has given Symonds another chance for Australia in the Test arena © Getty Images

Buy this photo

“What Simmo brings to the team is a bit of life and a bit of energy and we want him to have that around the group, but he’s got to keep his emotions inside in check,” said Ponting.

“We want him to be the same sort of guy he is and he’s a fantastic guy to have around your team and we all know what a player he can be.

“He can give us a lot on in the field and I think he’s learned a bit from the last couple of times he’s been in the team as well. He might not have handled those emotions as well as he could.”

As someone who has fallen foul of the authorities himself in the past - including being suspended after a fight at a Sydney nightclub in 1999 - Ponting can sympathise with Symonds’ occasional lapse in judgment.

He added: “It’s a learning process for all of us. I was there a few times as well being in and out of the side early on in my career and Michael Clarke has been a bit the same.

“Most of us have been in and out and the more you do that, the more you learn about yourself and Simmo should be able to handle it better this time than he has in the past.”