Ponting doubts Cup triumph could ease Ashes pain

Wednesday, 19 January 2011 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A fourth consecutive World Cup title triumph might not be enough to heal the scars left by the recent Ashes hammering Australia suffered against England, captain Ricky Ponting said Tuesday.

Ponting, who broke a finger during the fourth test in Melbourne and missed the final match in Sydney, was hoping to be fit before the start of the February 19-April 2 tournament, being co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“I’m not sure if anything would erase what’s just happened... Payback’s going to be hard to get I guess after losing the Ashes,” Ponting told reporters of his side’s 3-1 home reversal. “Whatever’s happened has happened and you’ve just got to look forward and make sure you’re as well prepared as you can be for the next series or tournament that you play.”

Ponting, 36, termed the Ashes defeat as a “big disappointment” in his career and said it was time for Australia to look ahead.

“I guess through my career, luckily, there hasn’t been too many major disappointments,” Ponting added.

“The Ashes, the last couple of series have been big disappointments for me but you look ahead now to World Cup cricket.

“We’ve just got to keep looking forward as a group and as a cricket nation really and try to find ways that we can make ourselves better.

“It’s no good looking back and thinking about the things that have happened in the past.”

The right-handed batsman was itching to hold a bat again after also being forced to sit out the seven-match one-day international series against England.

“My finger’s coming along ok I guess. I haven’t been able to do anything for the last couple of weeks post surgery, but I’ve got a bit more movement now than I had in the first week after surgery anyway,” he said.

“I’ll be doing everything I can to get a bat back in my hands as soon as possible and start working it along and all going to plan I should be right for the start of the tournament.”