Ponting impressed by Johnson

Ricky Ponting admits he is "licking his lips" at the prospect of Queensland's Mitchell Johnson entering the Test team. Johnson, a left-arm fast bowler, appears to be a regular member of the national one-day squad - he has been picked for the tri-series in Malaysia and the Champions Trophy - after a couple of injury-free seasons following serious back problems.

Ponting and Johnson were in the same group at the pre-season boot camp and the captain has been impressed with his team-mate on and off the field. "I found him a terrific young bloke who is eager to learn," Ponting said in The Courier-Mail. "He has been touted for a long time as someone with ability and he has had his body right over the last couple of years and impressed everyone with what he did in the recent A series in Darwin and Cairns."

Johnson is capable of bowling around the 145kph mark, but it not just his speed that has Ponting excited. "A left-armer who can bowl that sort of pace and can swing the ball is an exciting prospect for anyone," he told the paper. "With age on his side as well, as captain of the national side you do lick your lips at those sorts of prospects. I'm really excited for Mitchell, Dan Cullen, Shaun Tait and Mark Cosgrove. They are going to turn into really good players and I hope I am around when they do."

Johnson told Cricinfo during a pre-season Queensland session he wanted to expand his international experience during a massive summer. "It's been two years without back problems and I'm enjoying it," he said. "I now have to confront the pressure and take some weight off my shoulders. I've played a few one-day games now, but the hardest thing is staying there and I have to work my arse off."