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Australia ready for Twenty20 clash

October 19, 2007 14:26 IST
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Australia captain Ricky Ponting hopes there will be no recurrence of the racial abuse that has been directed at his players during the recently concluded seven-match one-day international series in India.

All rounder Andrew Symonds was racially abused by spectators during a one-day international in Baroda last week and fans directed similar taunts at the Australians in the final one-day match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Australia, 4-2 winners of the seven-match series after the opener was washed out, take on India in a one-off Twenty20 international on Saturday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), which strengthened its anti-racism code last year, has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India officials asking them to comment on events in Baroda, and Indian media came down heavily on the crowd behaviour.

"I was very disappointed to see some of the stuff that happened the other day," Ponting told a news conference on Friday.

The skipper added he had read in local newspapers on Friday that attempts are being made to improve the behaviour of the crowd.

"But that's not in our control. All we can do is get there and play and put on the best show that we can, and hopefully the crowds around enjoy what we do.

"If we put on a good show with our cricket then hopefully the fans will enjoy that more than just staying up to take a pot at somebody."

Saturday's match will be India's first home Twenty20 international.

"We are pretty excited actually, and looking forward to the game. We are playing a team that has just won the World Cup a few weeks ago. This match has been talked about even more than the ODI series," Ponting said.

India surprised Australia, world champions in the 50-over format, in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Opener Matthew Hayden is expected to play on Saturday after the batsman missed the last two one-dayers with a sore hip.

India named their Twenty20 World Cup-winning squad for this match, though leg-spinner Piyush Chawla will miss out due to an ankle injury.

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Source: REUTERS
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