Melbourne, June 30: John Buchanan’s link with the Lions may have annoyed Ricky Ponting, but the Australian skipper believes the former coach’s brief stint with England’s second XI will not have any impact on the visiting side, as they prepare for the Ashes, starting July 8.
Buchanan was appointed as a short-term consultant to England for the lead-up to this Ashes series, and it is likely that the duo may run into each other today when the holders practice at Worcester. ”I just hope I don’t see him with an England jumper on. That will be a little bit disappointing,” Ponting said. ”We’ll see what happens,” he added.
Buchanan, Australia’s most successful coach, will be joining the Lions at training today before they meet Australia in a four-day match beginning tomorrow at Worcester. But the 34-year-old Australian captain played down any impact Buchanan’s brief tenure can have on the Ashes series. ”I haven’t thought about it and I haven’t heard it spoken about around the group at all,” Ponting said. ”We’ve just been so wrapped up in what we’re doing. There’s no stone left unturned as far as our preparation goes. ”We haven’t thought too much about what they (England) are doing,” he was quoted as saying by ‘The Australian’.
He also said players need to get used to coming up against coaches, who had previously advised them. ”The more I think about it, these guys are career coaches.
”That’s what their whole livelihood rests on. ”We’re going to see a lot of those sorts of changes over the years,” he said.
Buchanan, who resigned as Australia coach two years ago after Australia blanked England 5-0 in the 2007 Ashes series, was coaching the Kolkata Knight Riders before he was recently sacked from the Indian Premier League (IPL) side following their dismal show in the second edition of the T20 event. ”There’s been a lot of talk about players with this IPL stuff happening, but it’s going to happen with coaches too, going from one team to the next. ”I’m not exactly sure what his (Buchanan) overall role is with the ECB. It’s only a week or two from what I understand,” Ponting said.
—–Agencies