Ponting backs Darwin and Cairns

Ricky Ponting threw his weight solidly behind Cairns and Darwin as Test venues despite criticism from some quarters about those centres.

"We really enjoy these games we play in Darwin and Cairns and I think it's important that we try and grow this game and take it to the more remote cricketing areas of Australia," Ponting said. "The crowds in Darwin weren't great last year but the facilities in Cairns are world class and we just really enjoy the experience of being here. Hopefully we'll get a good crowd and a good turnout and they'll see some good cricket and hopefully North Queensland and Darwin can keep growing as cricket communities."

If the two cities drift off the international cricket map in the near future, Ponting said the Australian players would be disappointed. "Pick any of the guys out of the side and ask them what they think about being here and playing these games and they absolutely love it. It's a great part of the world to be, especially at this time of year."

But Ponting said he wouldn't want to play cricket in the northern part of the country if it was at the expense of the established southern venues. "I wouldn't like to see any of the big venues in Australia which have hosted Tests for a long time lose out on a game for the sake of playing one here. But for these winter series it's absolutely perfect. To be able to play a couple of Tests here in the middle of winter is a bonus for everybody."

Marvan Atapattu also endorsed the move to play in the northern cities but said Darwin's Marrara Oval needed more work. "I certainly don't have a problem, I think cricket should be taken all around the world, that's how our game will prosper. I don't have a problem in playing anywhere."

On the Darwin pitch, he said: "I'm sure they'll learn from it and the next team who goes there will get a better wicket than that."

However, there may not be a next time. Cricket Australia lost about A$1million on the two Tests and three one-day matches against Bangladesh last year and will lose about half that amount on this Test series against Sri Lanka. Australia's Ashes campaign in England next year means that there will be no winter series in 2005. Also, with the ICC considering a two-tier format for Tests, there's a possibility of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh being relegated, making future schedules much lighter.