Ashes demons laid to rest - Ponting

Ricky Ponting does not presently believe that specific areas of improvement are needed for his side ahead of the Ashes series

Ricky Ponting has turned his focus to reclaiming the Ashes after watching Australia complete yet another series whitewash of Pakistan in Hobart.

Australia secured a fifth win from six Tests this summer in fulfilling a fourth straight 3-0 series win over Pakistan.

And although Australia will play four more Tests in the 10 months before they begin their bid to defeat England in Brisbane in late November - two in New Zealand in March and two against Pakistan in England in July - Ponting believes his team has now put the disaster of last year's Ashes loss behind them.

“It's been a great series and a great summer for us,” said Ponting, after Australia completed a 231-run victory over Pakistan in the third Test at Bellerive midway through day five.

“There was a fair bit of conjecture coming into the summer after the end of the Ashes about where we were going with our Test cricket.

“I spelled things out pretty clearly to the team about where I thought we were going and I think we have improved a lot through the summer.”

With Shane Watson being named player of the series against Pakistan and Nathan Hauritz emerging as a genuine frontline spinner - taking 18 wickets at 23 for the series giving him 29 wickets in six Tests for the summer, the equal highest along with Mitchell Johnson of any Australia bowler - Ponting believes he now has a settled team at his disposal ready to reclaim the Ashes urn.

When asked if there were any areas he felt his side still needed to improve in, ahead of the Ashes, Ponting said: “I don't think there are to tell the truth, no.

“I am really comfortable with the way a lot of the guys have come on through the summer.

“Watson in the opening role was something we probably weren't entirely sure about coming into the summer but I think he has put his own stamp on that particularly well, as he has with his bowling as well.

Any "conjecture" that arose about the direction of Australia's Test cricket after the Brit Oval have been resolved, says Ponting

“And Nathan Hauritz has certainly stepped up to take 18 wickets in this series alone.”

Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf declared Australia as “the best team in the world” at the conclusion of the series.

He said: “Yes, they (Australia) are the best team because they have a good side, good players - all good players - and they have good batsmen and bowlers and a wicketkeeper (Brad Haddin) averaging in the early 40s (with the bat) so they are a good side.”

Yousuf said given the little Test cricket Pakistan have played in recent times he could not be too critical of his side's performances over the series, particularly after they came so close to winning in Sydney.

“Obviously we lost the series and that is disappointing for the whole team but we played with a young and inexperienced side so I am happy,” he said.

Yousuf was scathing of his team's performance in the field over the three Tests, dropping a staggering 16 catches in all.

“That is where I think we lost the series, otherwise it may have been a different result,” he said.

As for his own future as captain - given Pakistan's propensity to change captains following series losses - Yousuf said he hoped to be in charge for the two Test series against Australia in England in July but could not guarantee he would still be in the job by then.

“That is a difficult question,” he said. “But I enjoy my job and I am trying to do it sincerely and to keep trying to lift the team and myself up.”