Ponting impressed with World XIs

Ricky Ponting says Australia have spent time on the team bus in England trying to predict the World XI sides for the Super Series. While reverse-swing and Andrew Flintoff have taken up most of their thoughts, Ponting said after the Test and ODI squads were named today that they were "highly impressive line-ups".

"It will be an amazing experience to play against a side of this calibre and for those players in the World XI it will be an equally exciting prospect to play in a team alongside the game's greats," Ponting said. Australia plan to name their squads for October's six-day Super Test and three-match one-day series after the Ashes finish in September.

Ponting said he expected the Australian public to be currently talking about the team's tight battle with England, which is locked at 1-1 after three Tests. "Hopefully that can whet people's appetites for even more great cricket," he said.

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said Australia was ready to host the biggest cricket event in the country since the 1992 World Cup. "This is the ultimate sporting contest - the best team in the world against a team of the world's best players," he said, although England may argue with the rankings if they win the Ashes. "The World XI is a star-studded line-up and we are looking forward to seeing how Australia's challenge unfolds."

World XI Test squad Graeme Smith (capt), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (vc), Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Andrew Flintoff, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Steve Harmison, Shoaib Akhtar, Muttiah Muralitharan, Daniel Vettori.

World XI ODI squad Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar (vc), Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Flintoff, Shaun Pollock (capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Makhaya Ntini, Muttiah Muralitharan, Daniel Vettori.