Ponting defies bleak medical outlook

MELBOURNE, MAY 15. Ricky Ponting has defied a bleak medical outlook to be on target to play for Australia in its limited overs series against South Africa in Melbourne in August, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Monday.

Ponting badly injured his ankle when he slammed into the boundary fence while fielding for Australia during the limited overs final series against Pakistan in Sydney on February 4.

He was originally expected to be out for at least six months, the ACB said.

``Ricky has responded very well to post-operative physiotherapy and I see no reason why he would not be available for selection in August,'' his surgeon Dr. Martin Sullivan said.

Ponting said he was excited with his rapid recovery from surgery. ``Since I got off the crutches I have felt confident that I would be right for the series against South Africa at Colonial Stadium,'' the middle-order batsman said.

``I will undergo more physiotherapy over the next few months, concentrating on strengthening the ankle and I hope to start fitness training in a few weeks.'' Successful surgery on March 9 had revealed more damage to his right ankle than anticipated.

Ponting, 25, missed Australia's Test tour of New Zealand in March and a three-match limited overs series in South Africa which followed.

The exciting Tasmanian middle-order batsman was ranked in March by Pricewaterhouse Coopers as the fourth-best bat in the world, behind West Indies' Brian Lara, India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australian captain Steve Waugh. He has a career Test average of 47.51.

The three-match Australia versus South Africa series will be played indoors at Melbourne's Colonial Stadium on August 16, 18 and 20.

- Reuters

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