Book puts a spin into Ashes series

Australian Cricket Captain Ricky Ponting launches his new book, A Captain’s Year, at Hyatt Coolum this week.

Warren Lynam

AUSTRALIAN cricket captain has added some spice to the upcoming Ashes series by disrespecting current English players in his new book, launched this week at Hyatt Coolum.

In his book, The Captain’s Year, Ponting could not find a place for any current member of the English cricket squad in his top XI international players of the decade.

Ponting’s XI includes two Indians, three South Africans, two West Indians, two Sri Lankans and one Pakistani.

The only Englishman to get a guernsey is former nemesis Andrew Flintoff.

Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag and Graeme Smith make the team but there are no Australians because Ponting did not want to choose between mates.

Ponting and the rest of the Australian team are in camp at the Hyatt ahead of a gruelling schedule that includes October’s Indian tour of two Tests and three one-dayers, the Ashes Down Under and the 2011 World Cup.

Ponting says he is looking forward to the next eight months of international cricket “probably more than I have any period of my career”.

“I have been lucky to play in a lot of great teams ... but I feel the current team of players now is on the brink of doing something special as well,” he said.

“Going through the Australian summer undefeated last year was a great achievement by the team but we will be better than that in the coming months.”

The Captain’s Year is available nationally from September 1.