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Ricky Ponting has defended Australia's schedule of ten one-day internationals and three Twenty20s over the next month despite the growing popularity of the shortest format. Australia begin their limited-overs season on Friday at the Gabba with the first of five ODIs against Pakistan, followed by five against West Indies.

Ponting has been a critic of long bilateral 50-over series in the past but he said it was important to persist with the one-day game to pave the way for major events such as the World Cup. However, at domestic level the preference for Twenty20 among fans is building, as highlighted when 43,125 turned up to a Big Bash match at the MCG last week.

"Domestically they've had some great numbers this year, obviously with the Big Bash going as well as it has," Ponting said. "That's been satisfying for all of us to see, that the game is being well-received. [Internationally] I think the balance is right. What we have to be careful of is protecting the iconic series that we play.

"One of them is the World Cup, so we've got to be protective of the 50-over game as much as we can. As we know, the last few years the one-day series has been two lots of five games. Hopefully both of those series between the West Indies and Pakistan will go down to the wire and they're well attended and we'll continue to play some good one-day cricket."

The seven-match ODI series against England that followed the Ashes last year drew criticism from Ponting but he is less worried about five-game battles. He was even happy with the seven that Australia played - and won 4-2 - against India in October and November because the matches were so well fought, and he was especially pleased with Australia's form having won the Champions Trophy in South Africa in October.

"The last couple of one-day series that we've played in have been terrific contests," he said. "The series that we just played in India was some of the best one-day cricket that we've played, but more importantly for people to watch, that I can remember. The one-day game is still alive and well, if it's played the right way, and we'll certainly be doing everything we can to make it attractive for everyone to watch."

Australia have the momentum having beaten Pakistan 3-0 in the Test series but there are changes to their squad, with four one-day specialists picked. Of the Test players, Simon Katich and Marcus North will not play in the one-dayers and Mitchell Johnson has been rested for the first three.

Pakistan have also made alterations from their five-day group, notably with Younis Khan to return and Shahid Afridi to join the squad as vice-captain. Ponting said the different playing lists and shorter format meant his men could not assume they would continue their domination of Pakistan in the five ODIs and one Twenty20 international.

"I never really worry too much about taking momentum from series to series, especially when it's different forms of the game," he said. "Both teams will have a vast changeover of players, I'd imagine, so whatever you create in the Test arena evaporates pretty quickly in the one-day arena, or it can do. Guys in this Test team that will play one-day cricket are in good touch."