Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has warned his team-mates not to let their thirst for Ashes revenge deter them from playing to their potential this summer.
With the most anticipated series in decades now less than four months away, Ponting wants his players to be careful and not to over-cook things.
"We did that last time," he said, according to a media report, adding "we won't do that again."
"We all wanted it so much. When we got put under pressure in a couple of Test matches (in the 2005 Ashes series), because we wanted to win so much I think that actually got in the way. That's something we have to be really conscious about," he said.
Ponting said he would drive home the message at a team camp at the end of next month.
"We'll all get together and we'll talk about a lot of that sort of stuff and make sure that we're not treating it any differently or any more serious than any other series we've played in.
"The more sometimes you build things up the harder it can be to perform."
{{/usCountry}}"The more sometimes you build things up the harder it can be to perform."
{{/usCountry}}Ponting will use as a model Australia's preparation in successfully defending the World Cup in South Africa in 2003, when they isolated themselves in Potchefstroom, well away from the main cricket centres.
"We got away from everyone and everything and just went about our business. That's the way I want to look at doing things this time as well," he said. More