Melbourne: Australia captain Ricky Ponting is aiming for a quick finish to the two Tests against a depleted Zimbabwe side later this month.

“We still don’t know who we will be playing,” Ponting told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.

“We just have to play the best cricket we possibly can and if it’s against a second-rate team then hopefully we can finish the games quickly.”

Zimbabwe’s former captain Heath Streak and 14 other players were sacked on Monday in a dispute over Streak’s removal as skipper and the make up of the selection panel.

The 15 rebel players are planning to sue the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) for “destroying their livelihoods”, the players’ lawyer said on Tuesday.

“The events seem to be changing every day,” Ponting said. “We can’t afford to worry about these things. It’s completely out of our control.”

Australia open their tour with a three-day match against Zimbabwe A starting on Monday in Harare.

Australian leg spinner Stuart MacGill made himself unavailable for the tour because of moral concerns due to the political situation in Zimbabwe.