WELCOME: Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) president Jackie Hendriks (left) greets Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting in the VIP Lounge at the Norman Manley International Airport shortly after the Australian team arrived for their two-month tour of the Caribbean. At centre is Australian coach (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has made it absolutely clear that there will be only one winner at the end of the cricket series between his world champion side and the Caribbean's best, and that is Australia.

"I don't think we'll lose the series, I think we'll win. But I expect it to be a pretty good tussle between two good teams," Ponting told Journalists shortly after his team's arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport.

The Aussies will square-off against the West Indians between May 22 and July 6 over three Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and an International Twenty20 game.
In their last meeting (2005-06) in a Test series, Ponting led his country to a 3-0 win over the Shivnarine Chanderpaul-captained Windies, but the 33-year-old Australian is anticipating an improved display from the hosts.

"It is always (tough) whenever you play an opposing team in their own country. You always expect them to lift...they play in the conditions well. Besides that we know what we have to do, we know we have to play good cricket," said the skipper.
Ponting has made mention of the improvement in the West Indies' bowling and believes that aspect of their game will be a factor in the series.

"I think one of the things that has changed is their bowling. They're a lot better now...certainly than the last time we played them," he said.

With the recent retirements of legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne, pace ace Glen McGrath and the hard-hitting wicketkeeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist, the mettle of the men from 'Down Under' will be tested as the likes of Brad Haddin, Ashley Noffke and Beau Casson are touring the region for the first time.

But Ponting remarked that the Australian philosophy remains unchanged.

"I think we have a great group of players...and a group of players that can perform over a long period of time. Being an Australian cricketer you're expected to be well-prepared to win every game that we play. So it's no different with us coming here...we expect to play well and hopefully the results will come out our way," he stated.

"It's more of a challenge, but we didn't have Warne, we didn't have McGrath last summer, and we played two good teams in Australia in Sri Lanka and India, and we won both those series. I think we got most of the bases covered as far as having a complete Test team, so it's up to the guys," he added.

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