Ponting backs Bollinger's selection

Sydney, Jan 3 (IANS) Australian captain Ricky Ponting feels that debutant fast bowler Doug Bollinger will prove Graeme Smith's wrong after the South African captain criticised his selection in the Sydney Test.

Smith termed Australia's selection policy as 'lacking in clarity' and also questioned the selection of Bollinger for the third and final Test here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Smith claimed the choice of Bollinger ahead of Ben Hilfenhaus smacked of confusion at the selection table.

'We had a really helpful meeting, basically all about a fresh start for 2009, the areas that we need to address and work on. The thing we can take out of the last few weeks is that when we've played our best cricket it's been very good, but our worst cricket has been awful. The culture that a lot of us grew up in was a very strong winning one and that's what hopefully we've got to get back to for the younger guys coming in,' Ponting was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

'It's pretty much a new generation of Australian cricketers. For me that is the exciting thing - to see these guys put on their baggy greens and walk out on the field with a lot of youthfulness and energy,' he said.