Martyn replaces Ponting for Tests in New Zealand

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced today that the National Selection Panel had chosen Western Australian right-hand middle-order batsman Damien Martyn as Ricky Ponting's replacement for the three-match Test series beginning in Auckland, New Zealand on 11 March 2000.

Martyn is playing in the current one-day international series in New Zealand and will stay on with the team for the remainder of the Coca-Cola Australian Tour of New Zealand 2000.

Martyn has scored 534 first-class runs at 59.33 in five matches this season, including 169 in the Pura Milk Cup match versus the Tasmanian Tigers on 8 February 2000. In all limited-over cricket this season (Carlton & United Series, Mercantile Mutual Cup and the current one-day internationals in New Zealand) he has scored 274 runs.

Martyn debuted for Australia against the West Indies in 1992-93 and last played for Australia in Test cricket against South Africa at the SCG in 1993-94. In that time he has played seven Tests scoring 317 runs at 28.81.

Ricky Ponting was ruled out of the Coca-Cola Australian Tour of New Zealand and the upcoming South Africa series after failing a fitness test today in Sydney. He injured his right ankle when he collided with the SCG fence during the second Carlton & United Series final on 4 February 2000.