*Official* Sri Lanka in Australia 2010

[vcs]

Yeah that's what I meant. Not suggesting that he has an inherent weakness against it - the award for 'most clueless short ball play I've seen' definitely belongs to Clarke's Mohali "effort" - but I believe that it's somewhat similar to Bevan who also, I believe, had a rather fail moment against a short ball. Something like that in your early test career and it seems, as you say, your card is marked.

You don't watch a lot of subcontinent batsmen bat.

Raina's effort in the same game was even worse. Looking back, lots of players got out to short-pitched bowling in that match - Tendulkar, Ponting, Clarke, Sehwag, Raina.

 

[Spark]

I should have qualified that I was talking exclusively about Australian players.

And I disagree that Raina's effort was worse. Sure it looked bad but at least he was trying to play something approaching a cricket shot. Clarke just stood there and let it hit his gloves!

 

[howardj]

Ponting unavailable for five our of our last six ODIs

Love the guy, but that's an absolute farce

 

[Spark]

Five?

Thought it was three myself...

 

[howardj]

Unavailable for all three in India, and now only one against S/L

 

[Spark]

Ah, I was only talking about ODIs that actually happened

Fair point though.

 

[howardj]

I have a radical idea...what about, particularly in times of struggle, our best team plays every game unless there are injuries.

 

[GotSpin]

Ponting playing two FC matches seems good to me.

Though he does seem to care very little about ODIs now

 

[howardj]

He could still play tomorrow and play two FC games.

The Tas game starts on Wednesday.

 

[Prince EWS]

 

[Spark]

Yeah that's really weird. Who takes these decisions? Ponting and Clarke have both indicated they're told to rest by the selectors... another black mark.

---

@PEWS:

 

[howardj]

Yeah that's really weird. Who takes these decisions? Ponting and Clarke have both indicated they're told to rest by the selectors... another black mark.

---

Hilditch asks his dog

 

[Ruckus]

Ponting playing two FC matches seems good to me.

Though he does seem to care very little about ODIs now

awta

 

[Avada Kedavra]

The important thing is that he gets wickets, though.

Absolutely.I was merely making an observation.

 

[Avada Kedavra]

As for Punter not playing ODIs-I think it is a very sensible decision.He is no longer 25 so he has to pick and choose his games.He obv wants to prolong his test career which is good to see.Something Pollard,Bravo and the likes can learn from...

 

[Son Of Coco]

I have a radical idea...what about, particularly in times of struggle, our best team plays every game unless there are injuries.

Don't really see the big deal with Ponting missing these one-dayers to be honest. Would prefer him to play some FC cricket before The Ashes myself, instead of being tied up with these.

Australia have cycled players through the one-day set-up for years now, don't think there's anything particularly wrong with it.

 

[howardj]

One is not at the expense of the other though - there is no clash with FC cricket today, the game doesn't start until Wednesday for Tasmania. Likewise, the games he missed in India were not because he was back here playing FC cricket. When the team has a crisis of confidence (self-admitted by Ponting the other day) I just think your captain should be available for more than one of the last six matches, particularly when his not playing any FC cricket when absent.

/Insert PEWS broken record image/

 

[Dissector]

Ponting is not a machine. Even if he can physically play both the ODI also the first-class game, he needs a mental break from cricket especially at his age. There will be plenty of ODI's in the run-up to the world cup but right now he needs to focus on the Ashes. If that means missing a dead-rubber ODI I don't see what the problem is. Tendulkar is doing much the same thing and missing the odd ODI series.

 

[howardj]

Ponting is not a machine. Even if he can physically play both the ODI also the first-class game, he needs a mental break from cricket especially at his age. There will be plenty of ODI's in the run-up to the world cup but right now he needs to focus on the Ashes. If that means missing a dead-rubber ODI I don't see what the problem is. Tendulkar is doing much the same thing and missing the odd ODI series.

Let's deal in facts.

Since coming off a 3 month break at the end of September, he has played two Tests and one ODI. Too much cricket?

And the team, he admits, is lacking confidence.

 

[Dissector]

OK, but I suspect the two tests in India were mentally draining. And he has some huge cricket ahead of him. There will be plenty of time to focus on the ODI team after the Ashes. I don't know what Australia's schedule is but I assume there will lots of ODI's in the run-up to the World Cup. Playing a dead-rubber ODI now simply doesn't mean much in terms of developing the ODI team.