ICC Cricket, Cricket Live Scores, Latest Sports News, Rumors, Fantasy Games, and more

Australian airliner Qantas has launched a cheap air fare promotion, which pokes fun at the Australian captain Ricky Ponting and his underperforming cricket team.

"Hurry! Once (these tickets) are gone they're gone - a bit like the Aussie Ashes hopes," The News.co.au quoted one travel agent's website, as saying.

While, STA Travel's advertisement features a sad-looking kangaroo called Ricky holding a cricket ball.

The advertisement also informs customers that Qantas is offering London-Sydney return fares for 215 pounds, one pound for every run scored by Australia in their first innings of the second Test.

Further they are offering 425 tickets, one for every run that England scored in the first innings en route to inflicting Australia's first defeat at Lord's in 75 years.ccording to a Qantas spokeswoman, the cheap fares promotion was a cooperative activity generated in the UK between Qantas and British Airways under a code-share agreement.

"The result has ended in fantastic fares for travellers from England to Australia. It's great news for customers," she added.

A similar deal will apply for next month's Fifth Test at The Oval, when the price of a London-Melbourne return ticket will be determined by England's first innings total and the number of tickets by Australia's tally.

Qantas has not made any official comment on whether Australians might feel offended by mockery of their cricketing pride and joy.