Ponting loving England sideshow

Ricky Ponting is delighted that England's problems are now the ones hogging the headlines.

Up until last week this Ashes summer had been dominated by Australia's inability to recapture past glories.

But all that changed at Headingley as Ponting's rejuvenated side won inside three days to level the series at 1-1 going into next week's decider at The Oval.

Now Ponting is enjoying the media frenzy surrounding Andrew Flintoff's fitness and who might come into the England side.

In his column in the Daily Telegraph, he said: "It is very hard for us not to notice these distractions. Admittedly these side issues do not make winning the Oval Test any easier for us, but it is fair to say the speculation makes it harder for England.

"Up until the last couple of days we were the story. Following the defeat at Lord's the questions were all about our team and how on earth we could win the Ashes. That all seems to have changed.

"It's all proof to me that two weeks can be an awfully long time in cricket. For the first time since the end of the Cardiff Test talk and attention has shifted away from us."

Ponting admits England were taking a gamble whether they played Flintoff or not at Headingley. And he knows from experience just how that feels.

He said: "Flintoff bowled well at Lord's and when you travel around England you can sense the people love him. He gives everyone a lift and enlivens the crowd. But apart from Lord's, where we performed poorly, we have played him pretty well in this series and England have a tough decision to make.

"Looking back to last winter, I had a similar choice to make when Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle were carrying injuries in South Africa. It got to a stage where I had to ask directly if they were ready to go and could get through the Test match.

"When you are involved in selection as a captain you want players to be 100 per cent honest with you."