This will be interesting. Not since Kim Hughes resigned the captaincy in 1984/85 has a former captain played in an Australian Test side. He played only two more tests after his tearful resignation.
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Cricket
- Thread starter mb64
- Start date
I would have been in favour of splitting the Test and one day captaincy to see how Clarke goes but I can't think of anyone to take one on . If Cameron White was playing better maybe he could be one day and 20/20 captain and Clarke Test Captain ? Problem is that White will be lucky to be retained in the team.mb64 said:
Looks like Clarke . Dark times ahead I reckon for a few years .
I can't even see a natural successor to Clarke in the team .
An opportunity missed by Punter to finish on a high with his century in the QF.
Pressure now on the selectors.
Pressure now on the selectors.
lukeanddad said:
Pointless looking at 44 as Tendulkar's average, he averaged 179.33 against Bangladseh in 4 tests. Against real nations it's 36.64 over 51 innings over 4 years. As Leysy pointed out, Ponting is in a very similar position to Tendulkar was, albeit his "slump" is only over 2 years. True chamions/greats have earnt a bit more leeway than most.
I don't think you're aware of what Leysy is capable of, he wouldn't bother with effigys if punter was dropped. ;D
Tigers of Old said:
That century by Ponting was bad for Australian cricket. Didn't win the game anyway and gave Ponting belief that he should go on - which is pointless.
Doubt the selectors have the nads but they shouldn't select him for Bangladesh - just taking up a development spot for someone who we will need come the next Ashes series and India tests.
As said "It's time to go Punter"
jb03 said:
Spot on jimbob.
It is entirely pointless that Ponting go on. That fighting century aside he's largely failed on the two biggest stages in Australian cricket.
Let's lay it out & have a look at Old Punter's form in the most recent series.
Ashes average: 16.14
WC av.: 34.33 SR: 72.53
I could really care less what Tendulkar has or hasn't done.
There are no certainties that Ponting will be able to replicate Sachin's career resuscitation.
In fact at 36 years of age it's unlikely.
Let's look at what we see now. An aging player unable to face that his time in the game is up who by staying on will prevent a younger player gaining exposure that might help them in the next WC or Ashes series.
mb64 said:
I'm alright for you to call for Hussey to go but he averaged 63 in the Ashes series by comparison with Ricky's measly aggregate.
jb03 said:
They should.
The selectors should leave both at home for the tour against heavyweights Bangladesh.
Oh then again we might miss their 'experience'. :spin
If Hussey hadn't run out Ponting in the 5th test of 2009, Ponting mightn't have either. He was set for an epic knock. On occasions like that, and the 156 he made in 2005, he looked impossible to get out. Comfortably in the top four batsmen I've seen (after Viv, Lara and Sachin) and head and shoulders above the next best.jb03 said:
His captaincy is another issue. Certainly in this World Cup it was too conservative. I was worried as soon as (actually, well before, as documented) I read him argue that the Australian way to success was to begin steadily, conserving wickets. He must have forgotten the decade Adam Gilchrist spent opening the batting, not to mention Matt Hayden. His continued support for Cameron White was as baffling as it was wrong-headed. If Dave Hussey had had the 22 extra balls that White wasted in the quarter final, he quite conceivably could have scored the 20 extra runs we needed to have a defendable total, as well as 70-odd not out from 48 balls to prove he has what it takes at the level. Same with Hussey's bowling. 1/19 off 5 on a spinners' pitch and he gets dragged for Tait, who can't hit the square. Baffling. As was the decision not have a slip for a seam-up bowler like Watson, who moves the ball both ways, in the seventh over of the innings when we need to bowl the opposition out to win. I can't imagine Michael Clarke wouldn't have had a slip. Or Mark Taylor, or Steve Waugh. Even AB probably would have.
Overall our approach was too conservative. The entire innings against India looked like an attempt to set a 'respectable' total, rather than a winning one. Ponting goes out a loser (as a captain), despite Navy's stats. His imposing record was built with a powerful side, but with an ordinary one, he was revealed to be an ordinary captain. But a great cricketer; only Bradman prevents him batting at 3 in Australia's all-time side, and you suspect if they were facing a battery of West Indies fast bowlers he'd shield the Don anyway.
It will be interesting to see if he is allowed to play on. Certainly the current lot of selectors don't have the nads to tell him no. They are another kettle of fish altogether. Where Ponting's contribution to Australian cricket has been massive and overwhelmingly positive, Hilditch and his men have let the country down by failing to prepare for a future they had ample warning was coming. Cleanout time.
spook said:
That was a massive moment, waist high through first slip :-\ Tendulkar on his way at that moment and who knows? That and the Seewhag egde/non-edge were the 2 moments that needed to go our way for us to win. Conservative captaincy was never going to win the day with our bowlers/their batting lineup.
spook said:
Leysy doesnt agree with all of it but a good post there Spook.
Interesting you brought up the 5th test innings at the Oval in 2009. Leysys seen many countless great innings by Ponting over the years, one against him as a 14 year old when he was already a prodigy, but leysy's never seen him look better at the crease than that innings. Every single shot was controlled & in the middle of the bat. He was also as determined as ever seen. It was going to take something special or out of the blue like that to dismiss him that day.
