Ponting links Australian revival with economic plan

After taking Australia to a series win over South Africa, Ricky Ponting has some advice for the country’s business leaders in his column in the Australian. He spotted newspaper references to trouble when it came to the economy and the cricket team, but says his side did not panic.

I kept repeating that we knew we were a team in transition, that we had a plan and that while little things might go wrong in the short term, I knew if we did not do anything silly, we would be back on track very soon.

These are the same principles I reckon business leaders in Australia should be staying true to in these troubled economic times: keep working on your plan, believe in the people around you and, most of all, don't do anything silly when it comes to your leadership activities and beliefs.

In the Age Greg Baum writes a moving story about his trip to Pakistan with the Australian team in 1994.

Peter Roebuck, writing in the Hindu, says Australia's resurgence lies with the decision to gamble on bold youngsters and bowlers prepared to put in a hard day's work.