Ganguly kept Ponting waiting at the nets

Melbourne: Even after Sourav Ganguly's retirement it seems that the relationship between former India skipper and the Australians has not improved as Ricky Ponting has opened a new chapter in which he said Kolkata Knight Riders' captain kept him waiting at nets during the first season of the IPL.

''There were couple of times when I was due to use his net straight after him but I was left standing there, waiting 20 or 30 minutes with my pads on, before I finally had my hit,'' Ponting recalled in his 'Captain's Diary 2008' in the section which deals with IPL.

However, contrary to prevoius occassion this time the 33-year-old right handed batsman praised Ganguly for his dedication for cricket even at nets.

''Sourav is very driven in the way he trains and prepares, a bloke who will get into a net and bat and bat and bat,'' Ponting said.

Ponting further added that the IPL expeirence was totally different as players from different nations were sharing the same dressing room which was unthinkable before the lucrative league.

''Sharing a dressing with blokes from different countries is something I haven't done a lot of during my career. It was good fun, not so much because I suddenly confronted with a variety of cultures and different sense of humour. I love the team environment and being able to help people,'' he said.

Ponting also expressed his desire that in the second season he would want to see the Kolkata Knight Riders finish as winner of the tournament.

''I want the IPL to work and I really want my team Kolkata Knight Riders to win. I was in India for a fortnight before the first IPL game, working on my game everyday, and for two weeks.

By the time the first Twenty20 ball was bowled. I was really excited about the game,'' he added.

UNI