Ricky Ponting calls Lara selfish

[Lions81]

A Prawn again Christian?

I'm embarrassed for the both of us!

 

[Langeveldt]

Ive got no idea what I think about it all.. I mean WI are in such a dire situation he may as well savour his success... Its clear that he is a fine batsman.. What he isnt though is a role model, and he is no leader of men either....
Theres no point in some of his random field placings being thought of as a good thing..
The only reason why something is orthodox and seen as the "norm" is because its something that is proven to work.... Lara seems to disreguard a lot of basic captaincy...

 

[Loony BoB]

This article from NZoom summarises my opinion quite well. If Fleming had the option of winning a test to lose by less matches or else drawing the match but gaining the world record score (not to mention being the first to break a significant barrier), I would be all for that record breaking score. I'm sure that the Windies supporters of the world are loving the fact that Lara pulled it off. I don't think that they would have been as happy if he sat on 300 and won a consolation match.

 

[aussie_beater]

Thats bull he spoke his mind and anyone can see that.

I cant think of any reason to call what he said dumb it's certainly not going to hurt anyone.

Yeah he spoke his mind and what he said looks dumb and also jealous to me.

And what is it with being dumb and hurting anyone ?.....being dumb doesn't mean its gonna hurt anyone, but its dumb nevertheless.

 

[marc71178]

The thing people haven't noticed about the whole not winning is even if he'd declared 3 or 4 hours earlier, do you think that the Windies would've won it?

 

[luckyeddie]

The thing people haven't noticed about the whole not winning is even if he'd declared 3 or 4 hours earlier, do you think that the Windies would've won it?

I thought I had pointed that out. Maybe it got swallowed up by all the other rows which were going on at the time. Something about when the WI had declared a decade before on 593, they didn't even manage a first-innings lead, and the fact that in every game where over 500 runs had been scored in ANY innings by any side at St John's, the result was a draw.

Maybe I just meant to. Such is senility.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The thing people haven't noticed about the whole not winning is even if he'd declared 3 or 4 hours earlier, do you think that the Windies would've won it?

That's just it. England would have had to have followed on for the West Indies to win it, meaning that we would have had to bowl for about 3 days on a dead track.

 

[Lions81]

That's just it. England would have had to have followed on for the West Indies to win it, meaning that we would have had to bowl for about 3 days on a dead track.

India seemed to not have too much trouble doing the same thing against a better lineup in Multan...

The point is believe in your players. Believe that your bowlers could do it. Say to the young Fidel Edwards and Tino Best: Guys, bowl your hearts out. Let's make the test side leave here remembering what the West Indies used to be about. Team first, individual records later. Personally, I would have much preferred to say hey at least I beat you guys once rather than hey my captain who does nothing when my team can win the series and scores 400* when there's no real pressure to win is awesome.

And this is not to denigrate the greatness of Lara's innings. It was phenomenal and may never be broken. But cricket is a team game.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

India seemed to not have too much trouble doing the same thing against a better lineup in Multan...

The point is believe in your players. Believe that your bowlers could do it. Say to the young Fidel Edwards and Tino Best: Guys, bowl your hearts out.

India did not have to bowl Pakistan out in three straight days. No correlation.

 

[krkode]

Man, it's been a while...

Personally, I think Ponting is a little too comfortable speaking from where he is. I don't know Lara's personality or how he deals with the leadership of such a rag-tag bunch of fellows, but I do know that he must be under an immense amount of pressure.

I find it silly that Ponting should speak of Lara this way, experienced player that he is, without ever having been in a similar pair of shoes.

I feel immense empathy for Lara. He's just one of those guys without a team at his back - his doing or not, I can't say because I don't know. But his men just don't have what it takes to do what Ponting could so easily have done. Ponting could have two days and he could bowl even India out in two days, he could be playing eons away from home, let alone in his own backyard, and be host to a spectacular innings victory, whoever the opposition. This is the West Indies, not Australia. It's just sour grapes, if you ask me.

 

[bennyr]

Man, it's been a while...

Personally, I think Ponting is a little too comfortable speaking from where he is. I don't know Lara's personality or how he deals with the leadership of such a rag-tag bunch of fellows, but I do know that he must be under an immense amount of pressure.

I find it silly that Ponting should speak of Lara this way, experienced player that he is, without ever having been in a similar pair of shoes.

I feel immense empathy for Lara. He's just one of those guys without a team at his back - his doing or not, I can't say because I don't know. But his men just don't have what it takes to do what Ponting could so easily have done. Ponting could have two days and he could bowl even India out in two days, he could be playing eons away from home, let alone in his own backyard, and be host to a spectacular innings victory, whoever the opposition. This is the West Indies, not Australia. It's just sour grapes, if you ask me.

Couldn't agree more.

The last Australian captain to lead a side remotely similar to today's West Indian side was Captain Cranky - Allan Border, and he would've batted 'til stumps on day three. Having been on the receiving end of embarrasing losses made him a very defensive captain. I guess it's the lack of empathy from the guy that has just been handed the captaincy of an incredibly successful team that irritates me.

 

[marc71178]

India seemed to not have too much trouble doing the same thing against a better lineup in Multan...

Is the Pakistani line-up really any better?

Besides that, the pitch wasn't as flat and dead.

 

[anzac]

I suppose that we could even describe Ponting's comments as being born from the privaleged position that he is fortunate enough to find himself in - Captaining the best test cricket team & based upon a VERY attacking philosophy..............

and I think it is that philosophy as much as anything that led to his comments, particularly in light of the state of the series...........sure enough ENG had already won the series & the WI was in the process of being thoroughly dismantled & humiliated in their own backyard, but the AUS philosophy in my understanding is to always try to win each & every match -so as to make winning a habit rather than a concious effort...........and the way they set this up is to score their runs quickly..........

Hayden's innings on the other hand was early in the series where they could afford to take the opportunity as it arose and still maintain their timetable & game plan.............

If Lara wanted to avoid a whitewash & take the opportunity to give the fans etc something to feel good about from the series then he achieved this, but IMO so far as actually achieving anything for WI cricket - it's a bit like how we described NZ's cricket history on another thread - avoiding a whitewash was considered the target to aim for..........

I'm neither condoning nor condeming Ponting's comments - to me they contrast where cricket is at in both AUS & WI.........the only thing I will say is that it is also a good indicator of how difficult it will become to break subsequent records because of the time required to do so, unless your team regularly bats at ODI pace...........(or faces the bunnies on batting tracks).......

 

[garage flower]

Its clear that he is a fine batsman.. What he isnt though is a role model, and he is no leader of men either....

Theres no point in some of his random field placings being thought of as a good thing..
The only reason why something is orthodox and seen as the "norm" is because its something that is proven to work.... Lara seems to disreguard a lot of basic captaincy...

Take your point on the captaincy, but you can only speak for yourself with regard to Lara's status as a role model.

Despite incidences of petulant behaviour in the past, I think Lara makes a pretty good role model, a view which I guess would be echoed by many on the streets of Port of Spain, throughout the Caribbean and indeed further afield.

He is as honest as they come on the field of play - a compulsive "walker" for instance - and from what I've read, gives a lot of his time off the field.

Ponting's contradictory views, which seem to take the innnings completely out of context, are as ill-considered as, frankly, I'd expect from an Australian cricketer. Fine role models all.

 

[luckyeddie]

Surprised no-one did this before

<Ponting> Brian....
<Lara> Yeah, Ricky mon?
<Ponting> You mollusc

Ohhhhhhhh. Selfish

 

[Adamc]

Surprised no-one did this before

<Ponting> Brian....
<Lara> Yeah, Ricky mon?
<Ponting> You mollusc

Ohhhhhhhh. Selfish

Already done... sort of

They got it wrong, he was saying lara is shell fish

A Prawn again Christian?

 

[marc71178]

Forgive Eddie, for he is old and senile.

You missed the BBQ comment out of that...

 

[Adamc]

Forgive Eddie, for he is old and senile.

You missed the BBQ comment out of that...

Forgive me, for I am young and ignorant

 

[Swervy]

Ponting's contradictory views, which seem to take the innnings completely out of context, are as ill-considered as, frankly, I'd expect from an Australian cricketer. Fine role models all.

here we go

 

[luckyeddie]

Surprised no-one did this before

<Ponting> Brian....
<Lara> Yeah, Ricky mon?
<Ponting> You mollusc

Ohhhhhhhh. Selfish

(heh)