Ponting returns for rare Tigers appearance

Ricky Ponting will play his first game for Tasmania in two seasons when he starts the ING Cup match against Queensland at the Gabba on Saturday. The lack of appearances from Ponting, the Australia captain, has upset his state as he used breaks in the international calendar to rest instead of turn out for the Tigers.

Ponting will be in charge of the side for their opening one-day game of the season and will have Michael Di Venuto as his deputy. Adam Polkinghorne will also play his first limited-overs match for his state after a two-year absence.

Jimmy Maher, the Queensland captain, will become the state's most capped one-day player when the Bulls field a full-strength line-up including the Test players Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson. Stuart Law is the current holder with 85 matches, but Maher, who is the limited-overs competition's leading run-scorer with 3661, is on course to become the first Queenslander to play a century of first-class and domestic one-day games.

"Stuey Law is one of the all-time greats for Queensland so to pass him in any regard is a great thrill," Maher said. "The fact we are playing at the Gabba as well as it being one of the rare occasions when we've got everyone on deck is even more special. We didn't get our season off to best of starts last week so our focus is pretty firmly on performing well as a group this time."

Tasmania George Bailey, Travis Birt, David Dawson (wk), Michael Dighton, Michael Di Venuto, Xavier Doherty, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfernhaus, Scott Kremerskothen, Adam Polkinghorne, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Wright.