Breaved Ponting to skip opening ODI against Lanka

Tue, Nov 02 10 11:22 AM

Melbourne, Nov 2 (PTI) The struggling Australian cricket team would have to do without skipper Ricky Ponting in the first ODI against Sri Lanka here tomorrow as he has decided to skip the match to attend his grandmother''s funeral. The Aussies lost a Test and ODI series against India last month before being defeated in the one-off Twenty20 match against the Lankans on Sunday. Ponting will miss the opening one-day international at the MCG to attend his grandmother''s funeral in his home town of Launceston. His grandmother died last weekend. "I will be flying out tomorrow morning to attend the funeral and then flying straight back to the ground tomorrow afternoon," Ponting was quoted as saying by ''The Australian Associated Press''. "I wanted to be here yesterday and today to maximise my time around the team and get my preparation right for the coming games." Michael Clarke will lead the team in Ponting''s absence. PTI PM

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