I'd like to know specifically what he is doing that is drawing the criticism and if it is warranted? Field placements, tactics, approach etc. I'm not an expert on the game so I'm not being critical at all, just interested.
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Captain Ponting
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LukeParkerno1
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1. Field placements- not backing your bowlers. You as a captain should be setting fields to take wickets, not defend runs first and foremost.
2. Piking his lover boys, North and Hussey for way too long. (although the selectors play a role in this)
3. Not having a plan B, C, and D if Plan A fails.
2. Piking his lover boys, North and Hussey for way too long. (although the selectors play a role in this)
3. Not having a plan B, C, and D if Plan A fails.
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I don't hate Ponting as captan by any means (happy to back him in most of the time), but some of the things he does within the side and on the field which recieve critical reaction are:
His field settings for both Hauritz and our pace attack. (Ie. no slips, less attacking fields)
While this isn't all his choosing, picking the same blokes who fail repeatedly such as Huss, North and even Clarke.
Some see him as too stubborn, whether he's helping our sides cause is questionable. I think he's doing his job, just not making all the hard calls.
His field settings for both Hauritz and our pace attack. (Ie. no slips, less attacking fields)
While this isn't all his choosing, picking the same blokes who fail repeatedly such as Huss, North and even Clarke.
Some see him as too stubborn, whether he's helping our sides cause is questionable. I think he's doing his job, just not making all the hard calls.
Trying to do his best with the shit the Coach/Selectors are creating.
If I believed this, I'd back him a lot less, but I genuinely, 100% believe that Nielsen/Hilditch have reduced Ponting's control of the side, and are now making decisions that should be left to the Captain.
Remember when we went on a Tour without a backup specialist batsmen? Ponting was asked about it in a press conference, and he basically said it was a poor decision which he'd never agree with - but it wasn't his decision to make.
If I believed this, I'd back him a lot less, but I genuinely, 100% believe that Nielsen/Hilditch have reduced Ponting's control of the side, and are now making decisions that should be left to the Captain.
Remember when we went on a Tour without a backup specialist batsmen? Ponting was asked about it in a press conference, and he basically said it was a poor decision which he'd never agree with - but it wasn't his decision to make.
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I would like him to step aside from the capataincy and just have a bat for the next season or two (depending on how long he has got left). I do not sense he is enjoying his cricket as much as he used too.
The only problem is who do you pick as Captain in his place?
The only problem is who do you pick as Captain in his place?
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I've always loved Ponting, mostly as a player and person, but also as a OK captain.
But I think this is a pretty good idea. After the Ashes (regardless of the result) maybe put someone else in.
But yeah, as you say... who? Definately NOT Clarke. Not Katich either... there is actually nobody
I love Ponting, and would like to see him finish his career without the burden of being our #3 and our Captain.
But there is nobody else with the balls, toughness or quality to fill those roles, at present. Saying that, Katich at #3 would be alright.
But there is nobody else with the balls, toughness or quality to fill those roles, at present. Saying that, Katich at #3 would be alright.
Unfortunately for him, presiding over the inevitable decline in the post McGrath-Warne era was always going to be his burden to carry.
I also agree with the sentiment, but similarly conclude the cupboard is fairly bare. Clarke does not strike me as ready. In the ODI's he's captained and lost, he doesn't seem to hurt enough. While he'd have a honeymoon period in the role, a build up of losses could be the end of him, Kim Hughes style.
Frankly, I think history will be far kinder to Ponting - as a captain and ironically as a batsman* too - than contemporary judgement indicates.
*A few years without a consistent number 3 will soon put his greatness in that role in some context.
Absolutely - and to be honest, I think we're incredibly lucky to have him at this point in time.
I just hope the rumours about Nielsen/Hilditch over-ruling him are true, because otherwise, he's responsible for heaping extra stress upon himself.
tazzietiger
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Ponting is the best person to be captain in the side. Everything Clarke has learnt was off Ponting so no point him replacing Ponting if people arent happy with Ricky.
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I reckon Pup was taught a lot by Warne and would be influenced by him.
Interesting. So are you suggesting he'll be so clouded by controversy he'll never be test captain or are you pedalling the view that Warne's alleged tactical genius may have rubbed off on him?
The only problem with the second line of argument is that we'll never know whether he was a brilliant test captain will we. All we've got to go on is 11(?) ODI's in which he looked good though he had one hell of a good team at his disposal. We've also got his captaincy of the Victorian side during which time he did not captain the side to a shield title (sacre bleu!) and the IPL, where he successfully captained the Royals to the title in the first season.
Again, we'll never know how he'd have fared in the pressure cooker that is the test captaincy.
What we do know is that any loss is dissected in detail and responsibility is sheeted home home to the captain. We also know that any victory is generally seen as the result of brilliant individual or team performances. I do wonder how an egotist such as Warne may have dealt with the scrutiny and pressure. Not as well as we think is my suspicion.
We also know that history tends to gloss over the past hence Ponting's 64% win ratio in test cricket (73 tests) is dismissed while we focus on the losses. Meanwhile the captaincy of the likes of Mark Taylor (52%), Alan Border (34%) tend to be sugar coated as our fading memories focus on the wins rather than the losses. Meanwhile in ODI's, Ponting's 76% record in 219 matches (including 2 World Cups - both won under difficult circumstances losing the team's best bowler on the eve of the tournament) will take some beating.
For a dud captain the boy's done quite well.
If Warne was a brilliant captain Clarke has better hope it has rubbed off on him because the Australian public - spoiled for so long - is a rather unforgiving mob who don''t take losses well. When the opportunity finally comes his way, he'll need all the nous he can get.
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Well if he believes in Warne he'll try to follow the mold. Warne says he learnt more about cricket from Ian Chappell than anyone and Chappell I think is a cricket genius. Hard to say Warne would not of been successful as he seemed to have all the right ingredients and had himself in the team.
I agree Pup not really ready and there's no standouts. I though Hussey a few years ago, but he's on the way out and Skatich is too old. I assume Pup will be the successor. Warne could just text him during breaks in play.
I agree Pup not really ready and there's no standouts. I though Hussey a few years ago, but he's on the way out and Skatich is too old. I assume Pup will be the successor. Warne could just text him during breaks in play.
Hard to say Warne would not of been successful as he seemed to have all the right ingredients and had himself in the team.
Might have been.....could have been.....the problem is, as I've said, we'll never really know how Warne would have fared as test captain. And for that lack of opportunity he has no-one but to blame but himself.
Captaining a test side, particularly one in massive transition, is vastly different to captaining a few one day internationals and 20:20 matches. The mental toll is at a different level altogether.
Ponting's far from perfect but in terms of mental toughness and leading from the front he's among the best I've seen (which goes back to the Bill Lawry days). He is the sole remaining player from the side that swept all before them for a decade from the mid-90's. He's it. And he'd have known what was in store for him as Australian captain as slowly but surely Gillespie, Martyn, Langer, McGrath, Warne, Hayden, MacGill, Gilchrist, Lee and the list goes on all retired.
I find myself agreeing with Ponting that the team actually performed pretty well in India. If you'd told me before the series that both matches would run deep into the 5th day I'd not have believed it. If you'd told me we'd nearly win the first test I'd not have believed it. We didn't win because our current bowlers don't create the opportunities that great ones do.
As I've said in another post, far more talented Australian outfits than this have gone to India and failed dismally, Mark Taylor's 98 side (missing only McGrath but containing Warne and a great batting line up) being a classic case.
Great post Lester.
Honestly, he isn't perfect, but we are incredibly lucky to have Ponting at this point in time.
Look at the rest of our side; Huss/North are finished and shouldn't be in the squad, Johnson is fragile and inconsistent, Clarke is alright but distracted at times, Watson is good but injury prone (although mentally, he's toughened up), Katich is tough as nails, Hauritz isn't up to it, Haddin is marginal, etc.
If Ponting wasn't in the side, and didn't have the balls to bat himself at #3, we'd be completely and utterly screwed - nobody in that list inspires any confidence as a Captain (and a few of them, even as just a player), we'd be weak as piss.
Punter isn't perfect, but he's one of the mentally toughest blokes to play for us - ever, it means everything to him, and we'd struggle to find a better option for this difficult time.
That aside, if the selectors hasn't screwed up against the Saffers in the home Series (playing Lee and Symonds), we wouldn't have lost.
If the selectors hadn't stuffed around in England (poor bowling selections, terrible preparation, too soft to make calls on batsmen), we'd have probably won.
If the selectors hadn't persisted with North (and Hussey), we might've won, or at least drawn, the Indian Series.
Ponting isn't the problem, the problem is he's walking onto the field with 10 other players, and half of them shouldn't be in the side.
Test Cricket is hard enough without having one arm tied behind your back.
Honestly, he isn't perfect, but we are incredibly lucky to have Ponting at this point in time.
Look at the rest of our side; Huss/North are finished and shouldn't be in the squad, Johnson is fragile and inconsistent, Clarke is alright but distracted at times, Watson is good but injury prone (although mentally, he's toughened up), Katich is tough as nails, Hauritz isn't up to it, Haddin is marginal, etc.
If Ponting wasn't in the side, and didn't have the balls to bat himself at #3, we'd be completely and utterly screwed - nobody in that list inspires any confidence as a Captain (and a few of them, even as just a player), we'd be weak as piss.
Punter isn't perfect, but he's one of the mentally toughest blokes to play for us - ever, it means everything to him, and we'd struggle to find a better option for this difficult time.
That aside, if the selectors hasn't screwed up against the Saffers in the home Series (playing Lee and Symonds), we wouldn't have lost.
If the selectors hadn't stuffed around in England (poor bowling selections, terrible preparation, too soft to make calls on batsmen), we'd have probably won.
If the selectors hadn't persisted with North (and Hussey), we might've won, or at least drawn, the Indian Series.
Ponting isn't the problem, the problem is he's walking onto the field with 10 other players, and half of them shouldn't be in the side.
Test Cricket is hard enough without having one arm tied behind your back.
