Ricky Ponting should be sacked

[Redbacks]

Indeed. Also annoys the hell out of me when they have a drink run on at every available opportunity. Yesterday they timed a drinks break at 7.5 minutes!!!! After that, why would you need another drink 5 overs later?
Should add that all teams do this, not just the two on display here.

Was at a state game last season, a wicket was taken 2nd ball after tea and the 12 man ran on and gave out some drinks. Ridiculous IMO

 

[Redbacks]

Julian made an interesting point on commentary. He said take out the mandatory drinks break.. The players get a drink as and when they want and anyways, they call out for drinks every 30 mins or so.. So why waste another 5 mins on a regulation drinks break? Just take that out of the playing conditions overall.. Let drinks breaks be ad-hoc with some proviso that you cannot demand one within half hour of the previous one.. That might be a small step to help the over rates a little bit...

This is not the solution IMO. I agree with SJS's point of view, captains micromanaging bowlers for too long and not taking a minute to set fields has a much better chance to speed up over rates than 1 5 minute drinks break.

Test cricket is a professional endeavour which makes me think that during team meetings the players should be able to remember atleast a few set fielding positions for each bowler-batsman combination and also a rough idea of how the field will change given the current state of the game, a message that should be passed around quite easily without a mid pitch conference.

It's time for Australia to 'evolve' and give certain players responsibility to get the team to hustle between overs so that this can become an almost natural thing rather than requiring the captain to constantly worry about the desicion between setting a trap, or watching the clock.

 

[Precambrian]

This is not the solution IMO. I agree with SJS's point of view, captains micromanaging bowlers for too long and not taking a minute to set fields has a much better chance to speed up over rates than 1 5 minute drinks break.

Test cricket is a professional endeavour which makes me think that during team meetings the players should be able to remember atleast a few set fielding positions for each bowler-batsman combination and also a rough idea of how the field will change given the current state of the game, a message that should be passed around quite easily without a mid pitch conference.

It's time for Australia to 'evolve' and give certain players responsibility to get the team to hustle between overs so that this can become an almost natural thing rather than requiring the captain to constantly worry about the desicion between setting a trap, or watching the clock.

AWTA. A regularised drinks break at the end of an hour is better, provided that umpires take care that only 5 minutes is spent on it, and no time is wasted by the 12th man coming in every now and then. Esp, gloves change etc. should be done only during the scheduled break, unless it is extremely urgent (like bat broken etc)

 

[SJS]

This is not the solution IMO. I agree with SJS's point of view, captains micromanaging bowlers for too long and not taking a minute to set fields has a much better chance to speed up over rates than 1 5 minute drinks break.

Test cricket is a professional endeavour which makes me think that during team meetings the players should be able to remember atleast a few set fielding positions for each bowler-batsman combination and also a rough idea of how the field will change given the current state of the game, a message that should be passed around quite easily without a mid pitch conference.

It's time for Australia to 'evolve' and give certain players responsibility to get the team to hustle between overs so that this can become an almost natural thing rather than requiring the captain to constantly worry about the desicion between setting a trap, or watching the clock.

Absolutely.

I have led cricket teams only upto grade level but even at that level I had a very clear idea of the field I wanted for each of my bowlers (for both left handed and right handed batsmen and for the newer ball and older) because one had done it so many times before. Then it was only a question of fine tuning for the situation/batsman at hand which rarely means completely turning things around. Even that one was doing it mentally as one contemplated a change in bowler.

In the case of modern Test cricket, you discuss so much before hand and with each opposition batsman in mind and for most possible contingencies and yet it seems as if Ponting is leading an Asia/Africa combine in a match where both the bowlers and Ponting arrived just on the morning of the match !

 

[Top_Cat]

This is not the solution IMO. I agree with SJS's point of view, captains micromanaging bowlers for too long and not taking a minute to set fields has a much better chance to speed up over rates than 1 5 minute drinks break.

Test cricket is a professional endeavour which makes me think that during team meetings the players should be able to remember atleast a few set fielding positions for each bowler-batsman combination and also a rough idea of how the field will change given the current state of the game, a message that should be passed around quite easily without a mid pitch conference.

It's time for Australia to 'evolve' and give certain players responsibility to get the team to hustle between overs so that this can become an almost natural thing rather than requiring the captain to constantly worry about the desicion between setting a trap, or watching the clock.

Yeah, damn right. We're talking about professional cricketers here. Micro-management every bloody over is just uneccessary. Blokes like Chappell, Taylor, etc. were experts at the stye of captaincy where intervention in fields/bowlers only occurs if needed, not as a matter of course. Let the game flow as it does, etc. It breaks the momentum of the fielding side if they're constantly sitting on their hands, waiting for the captain to move one bloke a metre to the left.

 

[Ikki]

Bring back Warne and give him the captaincy LOL. As silly as it sounds, that offer would probably bring Warne back.

 

[Precambrian]

Bring back Warne and give him the captaincy LOL. As silly as it sounds, that offer would probably bring Warne back.

How does it solve Australia's problems anyway than maybe delay it for a year at max?

 

[Burgey]

Yeah, damn right. We're talking about professional cricketers here. Micro-management every bloody over is just uneccessary. Blokes like Chappell, Taylor, etc. were experts at the stye of captaincy where intervention in fields/bowlers only occurs if needed, not as a matter of course. Let the game flow as it does, etc. It breaks the momentum of the fielding side if they're constantly sitting on their hands, waiting for the captain to move one bloke a metre to the left.

Or better yet, have the confidence to just move the bloke and not go up to your bowler to explain why you're doing so. You can let him know at the end of the over.

 

[Ikki]

How does it solve Australia's problems anyway than maybe delay it for a year at max?

Who said anything about solving Australia's problems? I am talking about seeing some good Cricket!

In seriousness though, I think Warne has to be involved with the team one way or another. His influence is just too big to ignore. His mere presence is enough to lift the players and his genius will surely help them out on the pitch.

 

[Precambrian]

Who said anything about solving Australia's problems? I am talking about seeing some good Cricket!

In seriousness though, I think Warne has to be involved with the team one way or another. His influence is just too big to ignore. His mere presence is enough to lift the players and his genius will surely help them out on the pitch.

Yeah, got a point there. The guy has so many wins under his belt and should be there in the coaching staff to pep up the players when they're down.

 

[Jnr.]

Personally, I don't think Ponting has been the same since Sydney, and the impact that saga has had on him is understated dramatically.
The Australian media and public went for him full on after that test, including comments about sportsmanship and winning at all costs.
The team and its captain have seemed to me far more timid since that test.
I imagine what would have happened in the press had he persisted with his quicks on day 4, been asked about the over rates at the end of play and said "Well, winning was more important to me than bowling enough overs".
He'd have been slaughtered. See, we want him and them to play more fairly, and not win at all costs, but then we expect him to set aside a playing condition/ rules in order to secure a win - at all costs, and not worry about being suspended for a test.
The thought of an Australian captain being suspended for a test is a ****ty thing for me to contemplate frankly. It would be a huge set back in my eyes for the game.

Nailed it.

 

[Jnr.]

Tim Nielsen's blog:

It’s all well and good to now say that he should have kept bowling the quicks at any cost but the question I ask is what sort of leadership is that as a captain of Australia? Is it alright to break the rules as long as you win without worrying about the consequences?

For my mind, it flies in the face of everything we talk about within the Australian Cricket Team and Cricket Australia concerning the spirit of cricket. While we will stay 110% committed to winning every contest we possibly can, there are a set of laws and playing conditions that keep the game in order and if we are just going to thumb our nose at those, there is no point to them. It was disappointing and it probably took away a bit of the gloss from a pretty good period where we were able to fight our way back into the game.

The rest is here: http://www.cricket.com.au/default.aspx?s=news-display&id=14386

 

[SJS]

Tim Nielsen's blog:



The rest is here: http://www.cricket.com.au/default.aspx?s=news-display&id=14386

Who does he think he is fooling. In Hindi we have a saying....

Nau sau choohe khayeke, billi Haj ko chali !​

Translation :

After devouring 900 mice, the cat decided to perform the Haj pilgrimage !!​

 

[pup11]

Yeah, damn right. We're talking about professional cricketers here. Micro-management every bloody over is just uneccessary. Blokes like Chappell, Taylor, etc. were experts at the stye of captaincy where intervention in fields/bowlers only occurs if needed, not as a matter of course. Let the game flow as it does, etc. It breaks the momentum of the fielding side if they're constantly sitting on their hands, waiting for the captain to move one bloke a metre to the left.

Again its upto the umpires, the players are likely do whatever they feel like out their on the field and its upto the on-field umpires that they ensure that everything works smoothly on the field and no time is being wasted, but i think Ponting really had this coming for a long time now, he has always been pretty poor with the over-rates, and reason for this has been the things you have mentioned, i hope Ponting doesn't drive himself into a similar predicament from now on and hopefully he would learn his lesson from this latest incident.

P.S: ...And oh yeah very disappointed with your avatar T_C.....

 

[Top_Cat]

P.S: ...And oh yeah very disappointed with your avatar T_C.....

Avatar bet, obv.

 

[masterblaster]

With NZ the next team coming down, I have a feeling that Australia will beat them 2-0 and all will be forgotten and nobody will be saying anything again. Ricky's captaincy is fine for now. If he loses against South Africa and then the Ashes, the calls for him to step down will be out in full force.

 

[pup11]

Tim Nielsen's blog:



The rest is here: http://www.cricket.com.au/default.aspx?s=news-display&id=14386

Look i have not been too impressed with Nielsen, he talks bull**** most of the times and he doesn't comes across as a very bright guy, but what else are people expecting him to say on this occassion, he is obviously going to back whatever his team' captain is saying, he can't possibily come out in public and accept that since Ponting was in danger of getting suspended and that is why he was looking to improve the over-rate irrespective of the game' state, he did what most people would have done in such a stage.

 

[pup11]

Avatar bet, obv.

Ok i feel a lot better now...

 

[pup11]

With NZ the next team coming down, I have a feeling that Australia will beat them 2-0 and all will be forgotten and nobody will be saying anything again. Ricky's captaincy is fine for now. If he loses against South Africa and then the Ashes, the calls for him to step down will be out in full force.

Ponting has been never anything more than an average leader, but he is great batsman and everytime his leadership has come under the scanner he has scored truckloads of runs almost in a way to silence his critics, so i expect a very fired up and determined Ricky Ponting to come out and blast every team he comes across from now on.

 

[sanga1337]

With NZ the next team coming down, I have a feeling that Australia will beat them 2-0 and all will be forgotten and nobody will be saying anything again. Ricky's captaincy is fine for now. If he loses against South Africa and then the Ashes, the calls for him to step down will be out in full force.

The thing is who would you want to replace him? I mean Ponting isn't the greatest captain ever, but he certainly isn't bad and I really can't see anyone who would do a better job than him.