Ponting, pushed?

[norbs]

Well he has stepped down as captain of test and one day teams. Considering Clarke said he wouldn't ever captain a team with Ponting in it, I wonder if Ponting has played his last international?

[Vilante]

When did Clarke say that? That's intersting. Does he mean he wouldn't be comfortable leading him? He might have to suck it up.

It's about time Ponting stepped down. It seems like he was pushed though, otherwise he would have announced it before the world cup so he could let everyone tell him how good he is.

[norbs]

When did Clarke say that? That's intersting. Does he mean he wouldn't be comfortable leading him? He might have to suck it up.

It's about time Ponting stepped down. It seems like he was pushed though, otherwise he would have announced it before the world cup so he could let everyone tell him how good he is.

Oh, he was pushed. His elevated opinion of himself as a leader meant he would never have stood down.

Here is what Clarke had to say late last year... http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/de ... ky-ponting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If I remembered it, you can bet the press will and give it to Clarke if he is announced captain. I would expect it to be the 1st question asked.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ponting wasn't selected again. He said he wanted to be considered for selection, which could well be code for "I have played my last international".

[Vilante]

Right, I didn't see that. It will be intersting to see what happens if he's selected but I'm of the view that the side is better off without him, he's not consistant as a batsman any more.

[Bauer]

He would be my first pick in any team

He should walk away and shout a big get fucked to people like Geoff Lawson and all the others who have stabbed in along the way. Fuck me if Cameron White shouldnt be the first useless player to go from that side and then take a good hard look at the selectors and then the bowling ?attack? Then maybe have a look at Haddin.

Ponting should take his bat and ball and go earn some cash in India or England playing a tier 2 type of cricket.


Ive got no problem with a skipper falling on his sword but for fucks sake, we are not India, Pakistan England, South Africa, Windies or any other team that can accept an ex captain as a player. If he isnt good enough to keep his spot in the side he shouldnt play. Captain or not.

[Dr. Pain]

He wasn't pushed. I think seeing how well Tendulka is playing may have helped but after losing the Ashes here then knocked out of the world cup well that's a good time to stand down. As for form well 100 in his last innings should mean he's picked for the next tour team. With the pressure off he may go make a bag load of runs. Time will tell and they still need him in the team.

[Jiminee]

He just hasn't looked right for a while though. Maybe it was the strain of shuffling the decks chairs on the Titanic but he has looked rushed and out of form.

Here are some sobering numbers I just dug up to support the idea that the recent struggles are not his fault. May of shared some of them before but they are worth keeping in mind:

Australian Test Players last 21 years.

Only 3 guys to play over 50 tests from those picked in the since 2000.
None of the last 10 players have come into the side and stuck around.
None of the last 10 has made a 100 (most were bowlers to be fair).
Hard to ever see Doherty, McKay, Manou, McGain, North, Hilfenhaus, McDonald, White, Casson, Rogers or Cullen ever playing Test cricket again. That’s 11 out of the last 19 selected. That’s just an awful strike rate.
1 guy picked since 2000 has taken over 100 Test wickets and that was Mitchell Johnson for crying out loud! There were 7 (and 4 of them were over 250!) in the decade before.

From those picked in the 90s - 6 guys played over 100 tests and Gilchrist had 96. The 80s, another period of prolonged weakness in Australian cricket had 4 x 100 Test players.

There is a lot of cross over between the eras but there has simply not been the next wave of talent come through

[norbs]

A very fair point Jiminee. Once the likes of Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist etc, he was on a hiding to nothing.

Add to that the fact that he was a ordinary captain and it all pointed to being a disaster.

[Jiminee]

Not a great captain, sure but really what was he supposed to do with such a pop gun attack?
Looking through the leading run getters and wicket takers for the Shield is not much salvation either. Some solid cricketers there yes, but future team leaders - not so much.
Having to go quite some ways down the list of wicket takers to find the guys who did play for Australia suggests two things - the Shield competition is currently weak and the selectors have been operating for the last 5 years with no plan in place.
I know it could never officially happen but we really need some sort of anti selection policy for those 30+ year olds in the Shield teams who will never play Test cricket again. Before they were culled out by the need to get long term jobs but now they can happily live on first class cricket income so a new system to flush them out is needed.
Nothing against the guy but what does having James Hopes running around for Queensland for the next 3 years accomplish for Australian cricket?

[Hazelb]

George Bailey for Captain!

[DexterPunk]

I'm with Jiminee on this one. We really havn't had much in the way of talent coming up of late. I actually feared this years ago when we were spanking the world in cricket... a lot of those players grew up in a different era of aussie traditions.. mainly consisting of cricket and footy when it comes to sport. Kids these days play so much more varied types of sport. Coupled with the fact that all these countries like India etc are absolutely obsessed with the sport.... and they have a massive population, it just makes sense that we are going to eventually struggle. Ponting may not have been the best captain, but I agree that he didn't really have a whole heap to work with. If bowlers aren't getting wickets, or batsmen aren't getting runs, then what can you do? I will agree his form has been woeful though, he certainly hasn't been helping much as far as the run getting goes. But could that have occurred through added pressure of being captain of a sub standard team? It maybe the price he's paid for having such high expectations of himself and others. It's probably the very thing that got him to the top of world cricket, and perhaps his demise as well. Theres one thing thats for sure, when Ponting was playing well, he was up there with some of the best batsmen I've ever seen. The fielding was also a joy to watch. I hope he gets remembered for the player he was in his prime, rather than how he went out.

[bengatta]

if we think we have fallen off the train, what must they think in the West Indies... They'd be lucky to make the next cup if they drop it back to 10 teams like they are thinking...

[DexterPunk]

So has the competition lifted? Do we (west indies included) just have a lack of talent? Is it because of kids today having a lack of interest in cricket, or just interests in different sports? Wheres the next Don when you need him?

[norbs]

Clarke captain, Watson vice captain. 2 people who put their looks above all else heading the aussie cricket team, no fucking wonder we are heading down hill.

I wonder if Clarke can out do Ponting in whoring himself out to all and sundry?

[Vilante]

Clarke captain, Watson vice captain. 2 people who put their looks above all else heading the aussie cricket team, no fucking wonder we are heading down hill.

I wonder if Clarke can out do Ponting in whoring himself out to all and sundry?

My old man reckons Clarke's too busy rooting tarts and boozing it up to concentrate on being Captain. Not that he'd be any different in the same situation.

[Dr. Pain]

Clarke is a stop gap captain until we get another who can rebuild a team.

[bengatta]

My old man reckons Clarke's too busy rooting tarts and boozing it up to concentrate on being Captain. Not that he'd be any different in the same situation.

this is a good thing.... it's just like Bill Clinton, if the leader of the world cannot get a blow job sitting at his desk, what hope is there for the rest of us...

[Dan]

Clarke isn't even good enough at the moment to play in the side let alone captain it. Listening to him talk in the press conference was horrible, no confidence in himself what so ever... He sounded like he was about to break down at some points.

Watson should have been made captain, he's perfect! All rounder would know what to do from both the bowling and batting perspective and he's not a little sook like Pup is

[Jiminee]

So has the competition lifted? Do we (west indies included) just have a lack of talent? Is it because of kids today having a lack of interest in cricket, or just interests in different sports? Wheres the next Don when you need him?

A lack of interest and committment to sport in general. And the vacuum of the AFL sucking up those talented atheletes who do come through. Good for the AFL though but CA need to lift their game.

[DexterPunk]

AFL is a good point..... If thats a factor, wonder if its starting to effect Australias rugby teams as well.

[Jiminee]

Don't like the appointment of Watson as VC either. He just seems to lack the mental strength if he is expected to ever do more than that, unless he is a full time VC like a Healy, Gilchrist or Marsh.
It wasn't long ago that he was giving Gayle that send off and just being a general ass - then factor in his inability to get big scores and, well, it fits in with most recent selections I guess.
Probably also a sign that Haddin is on the downside of his career to.

[Bauer]

George Bailey for Captain!

FTW

[Hazelb]

I was right!

[dvestate]

Ponting 1 day Captain while Clarke is out injured, seems a bit strange they didn't just give the job to someone else in the side

[Jiminee]

Who else though? Haddin is done (hopefully), Watson forever injured, maybe Warner, though if they overlooked him for the 20/20 he was unlikely to get the ODI gig. Mike Hussey is the only other option really and he is as old as Ponting so seems like a safe choice.