Pontings Captaincy

[believe_it]

Today we had yet another example of Pontings tactical ineptitude. I could put up with his bad run of form if he was a half decent captain . Time and time again he proves he has no ability at reading a game and employing appropriate plays.

He opens the bowling with Harris and Hilfenhaus ??? . Siddle should have opened the bowling but clearly Ponting hadn't notice how the Aus batsmen got out. The main seamer in the Aus team is Siddle. The Australian batsmen were destroyed by seam bowling not swing . So he waits till England are almost 50 without loss before he brings on what would be the most dangerous bowler in the conditions . It was clear the English batsmen were much more wary of Siddle but they were in and played him with due caution . Chance to strike early gone and Johnson was back to throwing pies. Pointing then puts two on the leg side boundary for the hook ???? By this stage I had had enough . Its one thing being shafted by the opposition but when you have a captain that helps them its just that much more painful . He's done it so often .

 

[Plugger35]

Pontings never been a great tactical captain, just look at the first test of the 2009 Ashes series when he bowled Hauritz to the tailenders rather than the pace bowlers. May well have cost us that test and the series.

His one saving grace was that he was our best batsman but that's not the case anymore. I reckon he has to stand down as test captain after this series if we lose and maybe even retire from test cricket altogether as he just looks past it.

I would give the test captaincy to Hussey and hope like hell he can keep his good form up for the next couple of years until we can find someone decent enough. We can't give the test captaincy to Clarke when his form isn't even worthy of a place in the team.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Did he have two slips from Johnson's first ball? I'm sure he didn't have more.

 

[Ill Chicken]

You can't blame the bowling for being ineffective when you get rolled for 98. 9 times out of 10 the opposition will pass your score in a canter and the other time, they'll still do it.

Yes, the bowling wasn't great but what do you expect when you've got three hit and miss bowlers in the side, Harris being the only consistent bowler among them and even then that is a bit early to tell. You can't expect them to do something that they're not capable of every test, especially when the batsmen are putting so much pressure on you to hold your end up.

Ponting's captaincy isn't really lacking on the field, it is the pre-game stuff that is the problem. His inability to drop down the order, the selection for this series and too many players with form issues. If you're carrying four players every test, you're not going to win many.

 

[Plugger35]

You can't blame the bowling for being ineffective when you get rolled for 98. 9 times out of 10 the opposition will pass your score in a canter and the other time, they'll still do it.

Yes, the bowling wasn't great but what do you expect when you've got three hit and miss bowlers in the side, Harris being the only consistent bowler among them and even then that is a bit early to tell. You can't expect them to do something that they're not capable of every test, especially when the batsmen are putting so much pressure on you to hold your end up.

Ponting's captaincy isn't really lacking on the field, it is the pre-game stuff that is the problem. His inability to drop down the order, the selection for this series and too many players with form issues. If you're carrying four players every test, you're not going to win many.

Ponting was pushing for the four fast bowlers though, he obviously doesn't rate Hauritz or Beer but pushed the case of his Tassie mate Doherty who was an epic fail in the first two tests. He got lucky in the third test because Johnson pulled his 'once in a blue moon' great spell out of his arse.

I'm not sure why the selectors are letting Ponting pick the bowlers, he has no clue about spinners. They should have picked either O'Keefe after his performance for Aus A, bowled impressively and can make runs down the order, or just stuck with Hauritz.

 

[Ill Chicken]

What I don't get about the selectors is that they're trying so hard to find a spinner it is becoming extremely detrimental to the entire side. Had Ponting and co just realised what other countries have done, ie England stuck with Giles/Monty until Swan come along and currently South Africa are sticking with Harris. Even someone like Singh has been stuck with by India, yet Hauritz who has improved with faith is discarded even though he is performing very well considering.

 

[Plugger35]

The irony is that they have picked sub standard no.6 batsmen like Smith and North because they can bowl a bit of spin, when Hauritz would probably have been a better batsman and a better spinner.

I must admit I've been no fan of Hauritz in the past but he has every right to be f***ed off wiith the way he's been ignored in this series. He would at least have been a better selection than Doherty and Beer and probably half a dozen others.

 

[Bombers_Forever]

I also question our 'coaching' panel - Neilsen has done nothing to suggest he is a good coach. Lets face it, Ponting's tactics must have looked good because John Buchanan was a great tactician, or the likes of Warne and McGrath were smarter with tactics than the captain.

 

[sherb]

I'm not sure how it is the captain's fault that he can't defend a total of 98.

I'm also not sure what the captain can do about specialist batsmen who flat out refuse to bat according to the conditions (by leaving the ball alone whenever possible) and generally putting a high value on their wicket.

 

[MushroomRocket]

If tactics is australia's problem then why not replace Nielsen with Warne?

besides it looks like ponting needs a year off if he wants to keep playing. it wont hurt his reflexes to get some time in state cricket.

with warne the big ego would be back but at least he would know what to do every step of the way

besides it could be worse without a guy like him, just ask the west indies

 

[Tyberious Funk]

I'd like to know why Johnson, our most experienced quick bowler doesn't get the new ball. Sure, you might be able to argue the new ball is a bit better suited to Hilfenhaus and Harris given that they can swing it. But can you imagine Tugga trying to tell McGrath to bowl first change? On most occasions you'd struggle to get McGrath to give up the first over, let alone come on at first change.

Is that Ponting's fault? Or Johnson?

 

[NQTIGER]

For a bloke who is so tactically inept, he has a lot of say about who plays and who doesnt play for Aust.......

 

[Adam Selwood]

When Prior came in, why didn't he keep Siddle on?

Also, yes the pitch is different to the WACA but why not attempt the same strategy that got Prior out in Perth - short and around the wicket

Bowling Clarke was also random and odd, all it did was release the valve for a few overs and let Prior get his eye in

 

[True Bluebagger]

For a bloke who is so tactically inept, he has a lot of say about who plays and who doesnt play for Aust.......

In the short term, Aust. cricket has bigger problems than Ponting's captaincy. If that was the case all CA, needs to replace Punter with Clarke and we will instantly regain our No. 1 world ranking, and win the the Ashes back in 2013 in a canter.

 

[aneale]

I'd like to know why Johnson, our most experienced quick bowler doesn't get the new ball. Sure, you might be able to argue the new ball is a bit better suited to Hilfenhaus and Harris given that they can swing it. But can you imagine Tugga trying to tell McGrath to bowl first change? On most occasions you'd struggle to get McGrath to give up the first over, let alone come on at first change.

Is that Ponting's fault? Or Johnson?

Well McGrath wouldn't waste the ball by spraying it all over the shop and go for plenty.

McGrath got the new ball because he would put the ball on the spot and make the batsmen play and hence take wickets. Johnson would struggle to get most average Shield cricketers out on the MCG his record would suggest. He's a rubbish bowler who grows teeth on pace friendly wickets like the WACA and the GABBA where the conditions suit and the number of wicket taking balls rises among the pile of rubbish he also produces.

I don't want a new ball bowler who has 1 decent bouncer and 4 too wide to play balls in an over.

 

[Belnakor]

Punters captaincy was actually pretty good today I thought, considering the kind of pies most of the attack were bowling on a very good wicket for batting.

The only major problem I had was trying to get Trott with the straight one, it seemed he played 85% of his balls off leg stump.

 

[Lazarus]

Ponting's captaincy and general on-field conduct has been disgraceful of late
What about him getting up the umpire when he thought Pietersen nicked it?

 

[Xtreme]

Officially lost the plot, he can't go around bullying opposing batsmen let alone an innocent field umpire.

 

[rocker_oz33]

ponting lost the plot today going on a sissy fit at not only one umpire but 2 then went and asked KP very silly boy.clearly his does not have the cattle to the job the section knobs need to pick players in form.he is on the verge on be coming the first aussie skipper to lost 3 ashes series in a long long time.

 

[damochandler]

it was embarrassing today the way he acted. he shouldn't have got in the face of the umpire like that. where is the respect. i hope he gets suspended

 

[aflcliche]

It was predictable. He is that sort of person and done those kind of things before, but not to that extreme. He carries little respect, is arrogant and petulant and is like a boy trying to lead. It was all OK for him when he could bat and had a great team.

 

[Bianconerri]

During his moment of madness today i saw a look on his face and in his body language that he wanted to take the team off the ground.
His petulant display was that of someone who has lost it. backed his keeper whick is loyal and noble for a referal,when hot spot showed Pietersen`s bat didn`t knick the ball he still had the audacity to challenge technology and remonstrate with the Umpire, what can Aleem Dar to from there? get the ref Madugalle to place a mocked white spot on Pietersens bat!
Taking my bat and ball and going home

 

[skipper kelly]

He should have opened with McGrath and Gillespie then brought on Warne after about 12 overs.

 

[Messenger]

Ponting was pushing for the four fast bowlers though, he obviously doesn't rate Hauritz or Beer but pushed the case of his Tassie mate Doherty who was an epic fail in the first two tests. He got lucky in the third test because Johnson pulled his 'once in a blue moon' great spell out of his arse.
.

How many times do you reckon Ponting has played with his "mate" Doherty?

 

[big_e]

How many times do you reckon Ponting has played with his "mate" Doherty?

And yet he still felt compelled to talk up Doherty...