Mar 12, 2009

Australian cricket retains ICC Championship mace

MAR 11, 2009

 

WHEN Ricky Ponting arrived in Johannesburg, he was escorted straight to a press conference where the ICC Test Championship mace lay on the table.

Asked to front more press conferences at Johannesburg's Wanderers Stadium a week later to promote the first Test, Ponting was again questioned several times about the importance of the trophy and his team's bid to hold onto the No.1 ranking.

The ICC even sent one of their media men to do shopping-centre promotions in Johannesburg to stir up interest in Test cricket and the home team's chances of being the ace team with the silver-and-gold mace.

Local journalists joked that Cricket South Africa was clearing a special space in their trophy cabinet for the 90cm mace, which was valued at STG30,000 ($A64,000) in 2001.

Australia have held the trophy since 2003 and after winning the first two Tests of their three-match series in South Africa, Ponting's men are hanging onto it thanks very much.

Although the ICC Test Championship table is only updated at the end of each series, the Proteas needed to win the series to overtakeAustralia before the annual cut-off date of April 1.

"Australia can breathe easy in the knowledge that the ... ICC Test Championship mace will be returning with them to CricketAustralia's headquarters in Melbourne along with a cheque for US$175,000," the ICC said in a statement.

Ponting insisted it had not been his side's main goal and it shouldn't have been South Africa's either.

"If they have been focusing on that for the last couple of weeks, it might be the reason why they haven't performed as well as they would have expected," Ponting said.

"I haven't mentioned the trophy once around this whole group because it's not the reason we play.

"We play to win games of cricket for Australia and to do the best that we can for each other as a group of players.

"Whatever happens as a result of that, happens.

"If silverware comes your way then great. But that's not the reason that we play the game."

 

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