Symonds deserves place in the World XI: Ponting

Sydney, Jan 14 (UNI) Australia captain Ricky Ponting today hailed team-mate Andrew Symonds as deserving to figure in World XI in the shorter version of the game after the explosive all-rounder's man-of-the-match performance against New Zealand at Hobart.

Symonds blasted 69 off 70 balls in Australia's 289 for eight, took 2 for 41 off 6.3 overs in New Zealand's 184 off 38.3 overs and plucked a great right-handed catch at extra cover to dismiss Peter Fulton for 37 off Stuart Clark in the second match of the Commonwealth Bank Series.

''He's in everyone's best World XI one-day team as far as I'm concerned,'' Ponting said.

''He is cricket. He's just matured so much as a player, probably since that first game of the last World Cup.

''He hasn't looked back. He just knows his game a lot better than he did before and understands probably one-day cricket better than he did before.

''That's on the batting side of things and he's the best fielder in the world, probably the best (cricket) athlete in the world, and he gives you some handy overs. So if anyone was picking a World XI one-day team, he'd be in it for sure,'' Ponting told Australian website Sportal.

Ponting expressed happiness that with Symonds, Hussey and Cameron White at five, six and seven, Australia have now three really good finishers to an innings.

UNI