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Ponting ready for deputy's job

Ricky Ponting, now fully recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of action for over four months, is all set to return to the Australian team, and even take over the vice-captaincy from Shane Warne.

The Tasmanian batsman, who injured his ankle in a one-day match against Pakistan in February, is likely to be named vice-captain for Australia's three one-day internationals against South Africa, at the Colonial indoor stadium on August 16, 18 and 20, as Warne's is sure to lose lose the deputy's post following his highly-publicised "dirty" phone calls to a woman he met in a bar in England.

Ponting said he's looking forward to the added responsibility but admitted it will be difficult initially taking over while the record-breaking leg-spinner is still in the team.

"It will probably be a funny feeling at the start, getting the chance to take it away from one of Australia's greatest cricketers.

"I'm sure Shane would live with that quite well and hopefully he can play on for a number of years to come," said the 25year-old, who has an average of 47.5 in 34 Tests since his debut five years ago, with seven centuries and 10 half-centuries, and 40 in more than 100 one-day internationals.

Ponting himself has been guilty of indiscretions in the past. Last January he admitted publicly in that he had a drinking problem. That came after he was photographed in a drunken state outside a Sydney nightclub the morning after a one-day international. He was immediately suspended for three one-day games but has changed since then.

That is all past, he says. "Hopefully I've done enough since then to show that I have grown up and matured."

The Australian Cricket Board meets on August 4 to choose the captain and vice-captain for the series. Steve Waugh will definitely keep his job at the helm.