Australian media on Saturday praised Ricky Ponting and others for skipping the second edition of the Indian Premier League, terming it a “brave” and “smart” decision.
“First Mitchell Johnson opted out, then Michael Clarke and now Australian captain Ricky Ponting has made the brave decision not to play in the Indian Premier League this year.
“The decision by the skipper to spend two weeks at home with his family rather than dashing for the IPL cash is a smart move,” ‘the Australian´ reported.
“Ponting’s move is brave and bold and will silence the critics, but more importantly it will give him the sort of rest he needs before the Ashes and the Twenty20 World Cup.”
The newspaper felt the inaugural edition of the IPL has affected many Australian players and so skipping the Twenty20 event will save the cricketers from unnecessary injuries and prolong their career.
“The players are in the middle of the most gruelling 18 months of cricket ever endured. Two weeks in the IPL may not seem much, but it is a game that places a lot of strain on tired bodies and a lot of the players who competed last year came home with injuries.
“Matthew Hayden never got his career back on track, Andrew Symonds’ knee continues to trouble him and Brett Lee eventually broke down. To name a few,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}“Matthew Hayden never got his career back on track, Andrew Symonds’ knee continues to trouble him and Brett Lee eventually broke down. To name a few,” it said.
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