Ponting: ‘No swan song needed for Lara’

West Indies are a good one day side and do not need any extra motivation to do well, so says Ricky Ponting, captain of the Australian Cricket team.

Speaking at a press briefing earlier this week Ponting said that although Brian Lara has always been someone who shines in big moments, this scenario could add a lot of pressure on him.{{more}}

“This being his last one day series, the World Cup, at home, there will be a bit of pressure on him, we will see how he handles it,” said Ponting.

The successful Australian captain, who is leading his team on a quest for a hat trick of world cup wins, said that the quality of the West Indies team in one-day cricket has been evident over the last couple years, so a Lara swan song motivation is not needed.

As for his team, which will be seeing the setting of the sun of another legend, fast bowler extraordinaire, Glenn McGrath, Ponting said that a farewell effort to Glenn is not on their minds.

“We are not looking at Glenn’s swan song,” Ponting said.

He told reporters that his team came to the Caribbean to win a world cup, and that’s where his focus is.

“ It’s about teams getting stuck into their work,” the confident captain said, quite matter-of-factly.