Ricky Ponting backs Australia as title contenders for T20 World Cup

Australia are going through a torrid run in international cricket, especially in T20Is. The Men in Yellow have lost their last five T20I series, with the 4-1 drubbing against Bangladesh the most recent one. However, most of the Australian regulars were not part of the squad for the West Indies and Bangladesh tours. One can expect Australia to fare better when their big guns return for the T20 World Cup.

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Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting feels Australia lack depth in their unit but will be a force to reckon with in the showpiece event in UAE.

"It just goes to show the depth around Australian cricket right now is not where it needs to be. There’s work to do there," Ponting said on SEN radio.

"The T20 World Cup is not far away (but) with everyone fit and healthy in the UAE, I still think the Australian team can push really hard to win that title that s eluded us."

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Australia have never won the T20 World Cup, with their best performance coming in 2010 when they reached the final. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) have also allowed the players to participate in the IPL. Ponting feels IPL participation will help the players get into the groove ahead of the T20 World Cup.

"Those guys that haven t played for three or four months now, they need to get back into the groove of playing high-quality cricket against the best players in the world," said Ponting, who coaches Delhi Capitals in the IPL.

"No doubt it’s their best preparation to be in those exact conditions, playing in probably the strongest domestic T20 tournament in the world."