Ponting

[honestbharani]

Uh, you must have missed my follow up HB.

spot on, Ikki.. Apologies..

 

[Uppercut]

I am very interested in knowing from those who think Ponting should be replaced as to what they think he should have done differently (as captain) in this series which they consider a strong enough reason for his removal.

Only a couple of things, nothing major. But that doesn't mean his captaincy was perfect. There's a notable difference between a captain like Ponting and one like MS Dhoni. Dhoni continually tries new things, gives his side a focus and makes the batsman think with unusual plans. There's an element of bluff to captaincy that plays on a batsman's mind. For me, the intensity of the Indian team in the field with Dhoni as captain is incomparable to how it was when Kumble was captain, but that doesn't necessarily mean I can pick out numerous specific examples of poor captaincy from Kumble.

I'd probably keep him there. I think it would be great for the side if Simon Katich took over, it would give them a kind of freshness that a side lacks after having the same captain for such a long time, and it would also allow Ponting to focus more on his batting. However, with the culture regarding ex-captains in Australia you'd risk losing Ponting the batsman too. And it's just not worth it.

 

[Naumaan]

i guess ponting should remain the captain of the Australian side
cuz so many great players have already retired, Australia needan experienced captain

 

[pasag]

A bit cold on Katich since the Clarke incident, though reckon that might make his case even stronger in some people's eyes.

 

[Jono]

Not that he's actually in the running, but you could never make Katich captain after the Clarke incident. Even if the thought of Clarke being choked out is mildly amusing.

 

[Uppercut]

Haha, it won't happen, I know. I'm merely speculating.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I am very interested in knowing from those who think Ponting should be replaced as to what they think he should have done differently (as captain) in this series which they consider a strong enough reason for his removal.

I think this is the crucial point. If the selectors or the ACB or whoever choose the Australian captain think there's someone (whose spot in the team is secure) who could do a better job then there might be a case for change, but change for change's sake is almost always a bad idea.

The only really horrible calls in the series were bowling North & Hauritz in tandem at Anderson & Panesar at Cardiff rather than having Hilfenhaus or Siddle at the other end and not playing the specialist spinner at The Oval, which is almost certainly a selectorial issue anyway.

If bowling the part-timers against India to get the overs in and avoid a fine/ban didn't get him the chop, there's nothing in The Ashes that should unless there's a definitely better candidate waiting and that's at best debateable.

Not that he's actually in the running, but you could never make Katich captain after the Clarke incident. Even if the thought of Clarke being choked out is mildly amusing.

This seems to have somehow slid under my radar. Did Katich throttle Clarke, then? Aside from living out a lot of cricket watchers dream, what's the background to that story?

 

[Burgey]

Not saying he should resign, but he has lost 3 of his last 5 test series. Not sure him resigning or asking him to is knee-jerk


MS Dhoni's doing all right.

See how he goes long term (Dhoni I mean).

I think if he sticks at it then he'll get better as a captain. Said it before, you can be Taylor, Waugh, Fleming, Brearley, Chappell, Benaud, Jardine, Armstrong and how ever many great past captains rolled into one, but if you don't have the bowlers it isn't worth a squirt of piss.

 

[pasag]

Should have fallen on the sword for the Nagpur shennanigans, not for this.

 

[SJS]

See how he goes long term (Dhoni I mean).

I think if he sticks at it then he'll get better as a captain. Said it before, you can be Taylor, Waugh, Fleming, Brearley, Chappell, Benaud, Jardine, Armstrong and how ever many great past captains rolled into one, but if you don't have the bowlers it isn't worth a squirt of piss.

That my friend is the bottom line; come to think of it that is almost the only one

 

[slippyslip]

I am very interested in knowing from those who think Ponting should be replaced as to what they think he should have done differently (as captain) in this series which they consider a strong enough reason for his removal.

They dont have reasons. They just want a scapegoat. Mob mentality. Something went wrong and someone has to pay the price - regardless if an individual was at fault or the whole team.

Australia failed 3/5 times in the first innings in batting. What that has to do with Ponting's captaincy I'm not sure. Question his batting more than his captaincy.

In each of those 3 matches Australia score more runs in the second innings. And thats just not good enough if you want to win a 5 match series. You just cant keep giving teams 1st innings leads and expect to win. But of course the mob with their pitchforks lining up outside the sheriff's house demanding vengeance fail to overlook this.

But people would rather attack individuals, something they can put a face to, rather than a whole team.

 

[biased indian]

Think he will remain captain of Australia as long as he play ...unless they loss the next 2-3 series also badly ...i don't think ponting might play under any other captain ...who was the last Australian captain to do so ??? think border,Taylor and Waugh didn't do that ?

 

[honestbharani]

Think he will remain captain of Australia as long as he play ...unless they loss the next 2-3 series also badly ...i don't think ponting might play under any other captain ...who was the last Australian captain to do so ??? think border,Taylor and Waugh didn't do that ?

I think Border did play under Taylor.. could be wrong though.

 

[Ikki]

I think Border did play under Taylor.. could be wrong though.

No, he didn't. He captained from 84-94 and under no one else after that.

 

[pup11]

Should have fallen on the sword for the Nagpur shennanigans, not for this.

Agreed, Nagpur was the lowest point of his captaincy, and was probably the only time during his captaincy tenure where he could have been stripped off his captaincy for a valid reason, but he wasn't axed because neither there was a guy good enough to replace him as the captain or as a player, and things are pretty much the same even now.

I just don't understand what logic is there behind people wanting Ponting to take the fall for the team' recent performances, this team is performing as well as it probably could at this point of time, and to Ponting' credit he has atleast ensured that this Aussie side remains competitive in this period of transition.

Yeah, this bunch has lost a few series in the last 12 months, but they have hardly been blown away or anything, this group have just failed to perform in the key moments of certain games, which has resulted in us losing some critical games and series, but things have hardly been as bad as they could have been for us, after losing almost whole of our team in one go.

 

[Flem274*]

A bit cold on Katich since the Clarke incident, though reckon that might make his case even stronger in some people's eyes.

Not that he's actually in the running, but you could never make Katich captain after the Clarke incident. Even if the thought of Clarke being choked out is mildly amusing.

I'm claim that.

Seriously, you skip the team song and play one hand one bounce, you get strangled imo.

Would be amusing though if the bowlers had more shockers like we've seen. Johnson, Clark, Siddle, Hauritz and co. to be murdered within a year.

 

[silentstriker]

A bit cold on Katich since the Clarke incident, though reckon that might make his case even stronger in some people's eyes.

Katich for captain TBH.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I am very interested in knowing from those who think Ponting should be replaced as to what they think he should have done differently (as captain) in this series which they consider a strong enough reason for his removal.

He could have been an all-rounder in the Sober's mold. That would have helped

 

[social]

Definitely should give it up

This series was an embarassment!

Lose to India in India with this team? OK

Lose to SA every now and again with this team? Sort of ok

Lose to an Eng team comprised of a group of players where, extremely generously, 5 of Eng may be considered for selection in a combined x1? That's crap!

 

[BoyBrumby]

Don't buy it, sorry. Oz lost essentially because they caved in 3/5 first innings. Arguably Ponting's batting was more at fault than his captaincy. Any captain's up against things when his main strike bowler misplaces the ability to locate a cow's arse with a banjo and whose selectors have given him such an unbalanced squad that when Hughes's technique was exposed there's only a batting all-rounder with a gash opening record to step up.