Durban (South Africa), Apr. 3 : Australia captain Ricky Ponting has warned his players not to be distracted by the build-up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) that is to be played in South Africa.
The IPL caravan for the five-week event is about to hit town, led by Shane Warne''s defending champions Rajasthan Royals.
Durban, Apr 3 : Australian captain Ricky Ponting is sure that pacer Mitchell Johnson's bone-breaking powers will be playing on Graeme Smith's mind when the South African skipper returns to open in the first one-day international being played here today.
Left-armer Johnson fractured Smith's left hand's little finger in the Sydney Test match in January, and two Tests later in Durban he completed the double, cracking the opening batsman's right hand little finger.
Durban (South Africa), Apr. 2 : Proteas coach Mickey Arthur has described South Africa's first one-day-international (ODI) against Australia on Friday as "huge", and believes that it serve as a key indicator as to which way the series will go.
Durban (South Africa), Apr. 2 : Australia''s pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has said that he is ready to take on South African skipper Graeme Smith in Friday''s opening one-day international to be played here.
Johnson was the player of the series in Australia''s 2-1 triumph in last month''s Test matches in South Africa and returned refreshed to training on Wednesday after being rested from last Sunday''s second Twenty20 international against the Proteas at Centurion.