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Former Australian legend Ricky Ponting spoke about the future of Australia's T20 team, with the country set to co-host the next instalment of the T20 World Cup in 2028 alongside New Zealand, as well as a possible appearance at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Ponting believes Mitchell Marsh should stick around long enough, Travis Head is a lock, and Josh Inglis will be there too, and Steve Smith's been loud about wanting an Olympic spot, but whether he actually makes the squad is still up in the air . "I think Mitchell Marsh will probably hang on long enough for that, and I think Travis Head will definitely be around and (Josh) Inglis will be around. Steve Smith has also been very vocal about wanting to be part of an Olympic team. Whether or not that happens is a different story," Ponting said as per the ICC website. "Cameron Green will be around if, in fact, his form is good enough to stay in the side. That's another bit of a worry. I think for Australia, certainly across Test match cricket and probably T20 cricket, what we saw in this World Cup," he added. Ponting reckons Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett and Cooper Connolly will be in the mix, while Glenn Maxwell's career looks like it's winding down, and he probably won't make it. Marcus Stoinis could be a question mark, but his all-round T20 experience might keep him around, and Young spinner Matthew Kuhnemann could also get a look if they need a second spin option. With the Olympics still 18-24 months away, Ponting says it's too early to lock anything in, so we'll just have to wait and see. "You would think Nathan Ellis would be around. Xavier Bartlett will be there. Cooper Connolly would be there and thereabouts. Glenn Maxwell, I don't think he will be there. I think it looks to me like his career is coming towards an end. Marcus Stoinis would probably also be a question mark, but he's predominantly playing T20 cricket tournaments around the world these days. Doesn't play a lot of state cricket and obviously plays the BBL, so with his all-round ability, he might be there. So there will be some change. Matthew Kuhnemann is young enough to be around still if they decide to have two spinners in their lineup. So there could be some changes, but I guess, I mean, we're still, what are we, 18 months away from that, two years away from that happening. So let's wait and see," Ponting concluded. Meanwhile, Australia have won just one of three matches at the T20 World Cup and is already out of contention to reach the Super Eights phase of the tournament, regardless of what happens in their fixture against Oman on Friday. (ANI)
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