Ricky Ponting's Australians can't wait to get stuck into Lou Vincent again in Sunday's one-day international in Melbourne, with Ponting questioning the character of the New Zealand opening batsman.

Australia play England at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday before taking on the Kiwis, but skipper Ponting could barely contain his enthusiasm for Sunday's contest.

When asked about Vincent's comments on New Zealand radio this week where he said Australia weren't humble victors and hunted opposition batsmen like a "pack of dogs", Ponting let rip.

"Yeah, probably it will (add spice to Sunday's game)," Ponting said.

"This has been running for a couple days already, this Lou Vincent stuff, so I don't want to add much more to it.

"But at the end of the day, it probably says a little bit about him as an individual I think."

Asked if Australia were guilty of unfairly sledging opponents, Ponting said his side's attitude was all about intimidation.

"We try to create an uncomfortable environment on field for the opposition. That's probably the best way to put it," he said.

"We like to put opposition teams under pressure and we like them to feel when they come out to bat against us that there is a certain amount of pressure out there.

"It creates doubt ... we pride ourselves in the way we go about our fielding and the intensity of our fielding.

"If that is making some of these guys think twice about taking some of our players on, then that's what we're after.

"I think everything that was done has been played within the spirit of the game.

"We have just been able to impose ourselves with good, solid, hard cricket on other teams."

Ponting said he was excited about having raw quick Shaun Tait debuting in Friday's match against the hapless England, as the 23-year-old South Australian makes a late bid for World Cup selection.

Australia are resting Brett Lee, with Tait set to take the new ball, while Stuart Clark will be anxious to push his World Cup credentials, coming into the side for Queensland left-armer Mitchell Johnson.

Tait's slinging action presents a fresh challenge for the England batsmen, having played two Ashes Tests in 2005 and battling shoulder and back injuries since.

Ponting said he expected Tait to also be included on Sunday, with the finals to be played on February 9 (Melbourne), 11 (Sydney) and 13 (Brisbane) and the World Cup squad to be named by February 13.

"I think the selectors, by naming him in this squad, would indicate they want to have a bit of a look at him before that World Cup squad is picked," Ponting said.

Ponting said it would be "a feather in all of our caps" if Australia could crush England again, keeping them winless against Australia for the entire summer, and virtually snuffing out any chance Andrew Flintoff's side have of qualifying for next week's best-of-three finals series.

But the skipper took umbrage at claims the match was of little consequence for Australia, who have six wins from six outings in the tri-series.

"It's funny. I think you guys are the only ones who ever talk about these games as being dead rubbers," he said.

"There's no such thing as a dead-rubber game when you are representing your state or you country.

England have ruled out batsman Michael Vaughan (hamstring) for the match while paceman Jon Lewis (foot) is in doubt. Opening bowler James Anderson is being sent home to nurse a back injury for next month's World Cup campaign in the West Indies.

A sole bonus-point victory over New Zealand in the final match on Tuesday in Brisbane could theoretically get England through, though that would also require some freakishly one-sided results due to England's woeful net run rate.

Australian selectors recalled Victorian batsman Brad Hodge to the squad as cover for Ponting, who has a slight hip injury.

The skipper will be assessed in the morning.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Mike Hussey, Cameron White, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee (12th man).

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