New blood in Australian team is a big boost for World Cup: Ponting - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting is of the view that the injection of young players into the Australian squad for the current tour of India, can provide an early boost to the team's bid for a fourth successive World Cup victory in 15 months. Ponting said that with the one-day series sealed in favour of Australia, the last encounter in Mumbai could be used to blood uncapped players Jon Holland and Burt Cockley. ''Every game that we've been able to give to some of these younger guys, not just through this series but through England and through the Champions Trophy, is obviously going to hold the Australian cricket team in good stead,'' The Age quoted Ponting, as saying. ''We know we're coming back to India to play some World Cup games and whatever exposure these younger guys can get is obviously a real positive for them. Out of every negative that we've had with all the injuries we've gained a lot of positives from this tour - not just winning, but the exposure that the younger guys have got,'' he added. It was ''satisfying to know that when you have these so-called younger guys, or less-experienced guys, coming into the side that they can really puff their chests out and do what they need to do to be part of a successful team. The guys ... couldn't have done anything more than they've done,'' he said.