**Official** New Zealand in Australia

[Precambrian]

Because we don't have the attention span for 5 days of cricket obviously...at the moment 1 day is a step too far.

So you admit you need ODIs, yet don't take them seriously?

 

[G.I.Joe]

Not even comparable. What benefit is there in playing your best ODI player for one match and then resting more than resting him for the entire series?

You've answered it yourself. You've played your best ODI player for a match. It didn't work, he appeared very strained, so lets rest him now. You're seeing a lot of pissed off Kiwi posters now that Australia are resting a lot of players. Imagine the outcry if they had been rested for the entire series. Makes sense if you're willing to consider a course of action that is different to one you've already made your mind up on.

 

[pup11]

Ponting in his time opted for rest in must win ODIs for Australia, and yet wants to play the full IPL.

Ponting hasn't opted for this break, he has been "told" by the selectors to rest ahead of the SA tour, btw its ridiculous to question Ponting's commitment for the Australian cricket team.

He has been playing on with a career threatening wrist problem throughout the summer, and i think he deserves this break.

 

[Redbacks]

You've answered it yourself. You've played your best ODI player for a match. It didn't work, he appeared very strained, so lets rest him now. You're seeing a lot of pissed off Kiwi posters now that Australia are resting a lot of players. Imagine the outcry if they had been rested for the entire series. Makes sense if you're willing to consider a course of action that is different to one you've already made your mind up on.

not really from what I have seen. It's only one player and atleast he doesn't have to do any press conferences In reality CA could have released a statement that he has a sore ***** requiring an 'x days rest' and people would be none the wiser.

 

[duffer]

not really from what I have seen. It's only one player and atleast he doesn't have to do any press conferences In reality CA could have released a statement that he has a sore ***** requiring an 'x days rest' and people would be none the wiser.

Probably would have worked a lot better if they faked an injury. Many teams in other sport report little "niggles" like that all the time when they need a spell.

 

[Redbacks]

Probably would have worked a lot better if they faked an injury. Many teams in other sport report little "niggles" like that all the time when they need a spell.

Mostly English Premier League coaches before international friendlies

 

[G.I.Joe]

not really from what I have seen. It's only one player and atleast he doesn't have to do any press conferences In reality CA could have released a statement that he has a sore ***** requiring an 'x days rest' and people would be none the wiser.

I'd have imagined it would have been quite a few actually. Theres been a few posts from NZers about the below par sides Australia plays against them. Couple that to the fact that Ponting missed the entire (?) CH series in 2007; the one which Hussey captained and saw those ridiculous chases. Ponting would have been labelled a Kiwi-avoider or something.

 

[pup11]

Probably would have worked a lot better if they faked an injury. Many teams in other sport report little "niggles" like that all the time when they need a spell.

Is that what has happened in Shaun Marsh' case?

 

[duffer]

Mostly English Premier League coaches before international friendlies

Haha yeah. Watch a lot of NBA and see it happen there all the time. One of the elite teams rested their 3 best players today against a really physical side as they wanted to protect them for the run in.

A tactic cricket teams could definitely use for their players(quickies especially)

 

[Prince EWS]

Is that what has happened in Shaun Marsh' case?

He actually went off the ground with his injury, and I doubt they'd lie about resting a fringe player and then admit to resting the captain anyway.

 

[Uppercut]

So you admit you need ODIs, yet don't take them seriously?

I think of them as charity fund-raiser matches for the real stuff.

 

[Athlai]

I'd have imagined it would have been quite a few actually. Theres been a few posts from NZers about the below par sides Australia plays against them. Couple that to the fact that Ponting missed the entire (?) CH series in 2007; the one which Hussey captained and saw those ridiculous chases. Ponting would have been labelled a Kiwi-avoider or something.

Ponting has played NZ 41 times in ODI's and in that time he has missed 12 matches.

 

[Precambrian]

You've answered it yourself. You've played your best ODI player for a match. It didn't work, he appeared very strained, so lets rest him now. You're seeing a lot of pissed off Kiwi posters now that Australia are resting a lot of players. Imagine the outcry if they had been rested for the entire series. Makes sense if you're willing to consider a course of action that is different to one you've already made your mind up on.

Appeared strained?

What a message to send across the world! "Gee our captain is strained by the pressures of captaincy and losing over the past few months, so we are giving him a break. No, he will not lose his place in the team, because he is our captain. However, if you do not perform in one match, you will be out".

At times like these, it is the captain who should show up and take up the responsibility instead of hiding behind vague strain excuses and demoralising the team further.

 

[Precambrian]

Ponting hasn't opted for this break, he has been "told" by the selectors to rest ahead of the SA tour, btw its ridiculous to question Ponting's commitment for the Australian cricket team.

He has been playing on with a career threatening wrist problem throughout the summer, and i think he deserves this break.

As the captain, he should have communicated that "This is my team, no way they are going to play out of this mire without my leadership". I don;t think any sane selector would say no to that.

 

[Precambrian]

I think of them as charity fund-raiser matches for the real stuff.

Then why not stop playing in such meaningless matches, and devote entire time for tests? Let youngsters do their trade in the shorter formats.

 

[Precambrian]

not really from what I have seen. It's only one player and atleast he doesn't have to do any press conferences In reality CA could have released a statement that he has a sore ***** requiring an 'x days rest' and people would be none the wiser.

Even though that is not fair, I think it'd been probably wise, not because of forumsters like us, but because that will serve the team better purpose than demoralising "resting captain" incidents.

 

[duffer]

Ponting has played NZ 41 times in ODI's and in that time he has missed 12 matches.

Hmm, trying to think of them. There was a 5 match CH series that Hussey captained but where else did he sit out?

 

[G.I.Joe]

Appeared strained?

What a message to send across the world! "Gee our captain is strained by the pressures of captaincy and losing over the past few months, so we are giving him a break. No, he will not lose his place in the team, because he is our captain. However, if you do not perform in one match, you will be out".

At times like these, it is the captain who should show up and take up the responsibility instead of hiding behind vague strain excuses and demoralising the team further.

I repeat once again, the selectors rested him. You can write out all the fictional monologues you want, fact is humans need rest. Your last paragraph has no relevance since Ponting had no say in the matter. If Ponting did have enough clout among the selectors to sway tham, Symonds would have been on the plane to SA.

 

[pup11]

not really from what I have seen. It's only one player and atleast he doesn't have to do any press conferences In reality CA could have released a statement that he has a sore ***** requiring an 'x days rest' and people would be none the wiser.

Ponting has already done that mate, his doctors told him to take a few months off, but he has ignored that and kept on playing through the Indian series and then through the Australian summer.

Resting him is not something they are doing to mock the Black Caps or anything, Ponting has played in each and every game this season, and ideally if all would have gone right he would have taken rest somewhere down the line during the ODI series against the South Africans, but that didn't happen, so they had to rest him at some point.

 

[Uppercut]

Appeared strained?

What a message to send across the world! "Gee our captain is strained by the pressures of captaincy and losing over the past few months, so we are giving him a break. No, he will not lose his place in the team, because he is our captain. However, if you do not perform in one match, you will be out".

At times like these, it is the captain who should show up and take up the responsibility instead of hiding behind vague strain excuses and demoralising the team further.

I think you'll find India's current captain did precisely the same thing barely four months ago. Before starring in four straight series victories in both forms without losing a match.