Who should be captain?

[Tomnat Tigers]

I must admit i use to hate clarke as he was that pretty boy that didnt recieve any pressure from cricket australia when he battered crap for a whole summer and he is also from NSW. But since he has become captain i have actually grown respect for the guy as he speaks well, good with his players and is very active in the field. He also has battered better since given the captaincy. A good example of him being active in the field is bowling hussey and ponting in the hope of getting a wicket which worked and as a result reinstalled confidence in the youngsters that were getting annoyed with not being able to get a break through. The youngsters then came on and got a couple of wickets.

Also people what do you expect clarke to say to the press if his players arent performing well, he isnt going to come out and say that both hughes and haddin are horrible and dont deserve to where the baggy green again. Of course he is going to be positive about them to the press. And when it comes to selection he may say they dont deserve another game but be out voted by the other selectors who may think they deserve to play the next test.

 

[Blue1980]

Clarke impresses me as a captain. Backs his instincts, more in the Mark Taylor mould. I don't think its a complete coincidence since he has been captain we have been a much better bowling side, as he rings the changes, keeps the game moving, and doesn't let things drift like Ponting would.

Punter was more one to come up with off-field plans rather than think on his feet. Steve Waugh just let some of the greatest bowlers of all time off the leash and set ultra attacking fields (which in some minds makes him a great captain).

Clarke still needs to do more with the bat. He will never be Ponting at his peak but he needs to consistently give us more when the chips are down.

 

[Blue1980]

No idea about the level or respect either Ponting or Clarke have within the dressing room, or who is the better "leader". But IMHO Clarke is showing himself to be tactically superior to Ponting in just about every way. He just seems to have a far greater "feel" for the position of the game and knows when to change the bowlers, and how to set fields. And most noticeably, he seems to have a vague understanding of spinners... something Ponting never seemed to master.

Correct, Nathan Lyon's thriving I think is also somewhat linked to Clarkey being captain.