Lehmann says Ponting the man to steer Australia higher

Veteran batsman Darren Lehmann expects Ricky Ponting to steer Australian one-day cricket to a higher level after shining in South Africa during his first series as national captain.

Ponting will end the series unbeaten if Australia wins the seventh match in Cape Town tomorrow night but his reputation as an aggressive captain has been cemented just three weeks after taking over from benchmark leader Steve Waugh.

With Lehmann as a valuable on-field adviser, Ponting and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist have sparked one of Australia's most impressive series in recent years.

"He's going to be a very good captain for Australia," Lehmann said.

"Who knows where he'll be in 12 or 18 months? He's developing into a bloody good captain.

"Even from the Test series (last month) to here he has really stepped up his game. Maybe he was that sort of guy who needed those leadership roles."

Selectors harvested Ponting's leadership skills at the right time because the Tasmanian had become a fixture in Australian Test and one-day teams with little formal responsibility.

But he has developed the same ruthless and demanding signs that Waugh showed during his reign, even admitting his bowlers will be "embarrassed" by South Africa's massive 3-326 during Saturday's match in Port Elizabeth.

It was a straight answer from a captain who enjoys the full support of his players despite replacing one of Australian cricket's favourite leaders.

Ponting heads the Australian run tally with 282 runs from six matches, including 92 from 106 balls in the record-breaking run chase of 7-330 on Saturday.

But Lehmann's reputation has climbed alongside Ponting after he became the middle-order replacement for Waugh.

Lehmann made 91 from 94 balls during a 183-run partnership with Ponting, becoming one of the "finds" of the tour despite his years of experience.

Aged 32, and with 75 one-day international matches, Lehmann's worth was well-known across the cricketing world but he has never seemed more important than during this tour, becoming an on-field general behind Ponting and Gilchrist.

Ponting has rated Lehmann one of his most valuable players just three months after the left hander was deemed not good enough to play for Australia.

"He's one of the best one-day players in the world - I don't think there's any doubt about that," Ponting said.

"He loves playing cricket and being part of a successful team and it's good for the young blokes to see that sort of thing, knowing they can come into the team and be themselves.

"It's important to have different characters around the team and he's obviously a character and he enjoys himself.

"He moves around his crease and changes the bowlers' thinking process and it's great that we have someone like him and Michael Bevan in our middle order to really control an innings or a game for us."

The Australians will start short-priced favourites at Newlands without any argument from the South African fans, who are changing their view of the tourists.

The home fans were originally depressed at the Proteas' miserable Test and one-day performances against Australia this summer, but the visitors have earned a reputation as perhaps the best team to visit South Africa in the post-apartheid era.

The Australians will fly out of Johannesburg for home on Wednesday having established themselves as the early favourites for the World Cup in Africa next February.