Ponting Should Retire Or Be Sacked

[Jim05]

So pontings not selfish to play with a broken finger? The finger isnt ok to play tomorrow but was alright a week ago, give me a break ricky. Pure selfishness should have missed last test for benefit of team

Then you probably would have called him soft or selfish for not playing through the pain

I suspect he could never win with you right now

My point is whats changed in a week. Either he misses last test or he plays this one. Not blaming him entirely, the medicos are at fault aswell.

Didn't he have new x-rays that revealed further damage from playing? That's what changed.

Case rested then.
The medicos knew that playing would cause further injury but passed him fit anyway.

[Jim05]

I did hear ponting say that it was a "live" test he would have played. Come on its injured or its not.
I dont like seeing him go out like this but we must move on

[smac]

Oh FFS, my ex-wife doesn't bang on about stuff as much as you!

[Ruben Carter]

I did hear ponting say that it was a "live" test he would have played. Come on its injured or its not.
I dont like seeing him go out like this but we must move on

Sorry Jim but not everyone agrees with your view. I am realistic like many other supporters but believe Ricky still has plenty left to offer (including runs). When a player over 33 has a lean patch he is always "too old" but when it's say Clarke, he's just "out of form" and we should give him more chances to come good (even promote him to captain). I am over armchair experts like you who think "scapegoats" and sackings are the only way forward. Fact is, we have nothing in the cupboard....period! So get used to some average performances as world cricket domination is cyclical just like every other sport and competition from A Grade country to the World stage...

[Jim05]

It is only my view and thats whats great about sport. Im sure you have wanted people dropped from the side, ive heard that many people say drop johnson,north,siddle,clarke, hussey etc but as soon as pontings name is mentioned everyone gets all defensive. You might be happy losing but like many others i am not. I believe Australia will bounce back very quickly and guys like khawaja are just the beginning. We will be number 1 in the world within 3 years with the crop we have got coming through, just need to get some games into them asap

[rod_rooster]

It is only my view and thats whats great about sport. Im sure you have wanted people dropped from the side, ive heard that many people say drop johnson,north,siddle,clarke, hussey etc but as soon as pontings name is mentioned everyone gets all defensive. You might be happy losing but like many others i am not. I believe Australia will bounce back very quickly and guys like khawaja are just the beginning. We will be number 1 in the world within 3 years with the crop we have got coming through, just need to get some games into them asap

There's a big difference in suggesting dropping guys who are good average players as opposed to dropping an all time great.

[rod_rooster]

We will be number 1 in the world within 3 years with the crop we have got coming through, just need to get some games into them asap

Who is going to be taking the wickets? Who is going to be making the runs? Khawaja is an exceptional talent i agree and i have no doubt that he will become a very very good player for Australia but he can't do it all himself.

[Jim05]

We will be number 1 in the world within 3 years with the crop we have got coming through, just need to get some games into them asap

Who is going to be taking the wickets? Who is going to be making the runs? Khawaja is an exceptional talent i agree and i have no doubt that he will become a very very good player for Australia but he can't do it all himself.

Plenty of talent in australia. Try mitch marsh, okeefe,maddinson,copeland,paine,wade,ferguson and thats just a few. I am very confident that we have probably a dozen or more guys who can step up. Watch out for us in 2-3 years

[rod_rooster]

We will be number 1 in the world within 3 years with the crop we have got coming through, just need to get some games into them asap

Who is going to be taking the wickets? Who is going to be making the runs? Khawaja is an exceptional talent i agree and i have no doubt that he will become a very very good player for Australia but he can't do it all himself.

Plenty of talent in australia. Try mitch marsh, okeefe,maddinson,copeland,paine,wade,ferguson and thats just a few. I am very confident that we have probably a dozen or more guys who can step up. Watch out for us in 2-3 years

Paine and Wade are wicketkeepers who bat. Only room for one and until Haddin retires no room for either.

Mitch Marsh, Maddinson have talent but that doesn't mean they will make it. Talent does not guarantee success at the higest level just ask plenty who have gone before them. Basically you are making assumptions on blokes who are yet to prove anything to suggest that Australia will be a dominant force in world cricket. What made Australia so strong in the past was not having one or two 18 or 19 year olds with potential it was having a dozen or more blokes who would be the first picked in almost any other countries Test sides but couldn't make ours.

As for Ferguson, i want him to succeed as much as anyone but what has he done really? You look at guys like Lehmann, Siddons, Law, Love, Martyn (for a long time) etc. who could not get a game in the past and Ferg is not even close to them. If Ferg was around in the late nineties he would not have even been talked about and the fact he is now is a very good indication of why Australia is not the best side in the world any more. That said he has a lot of talent and i really do hope he gets his chance and takes it. Just a shame that those others i mentioned as well as many more (Stuart MacGill from a bowling perspective) weren't born a little later.

[Hondo]

More good comments Rod

I think Stuart MacGill would be appreciated a lot more than I perceive he was if he was born 10 years later. How we could do with him now! Arguably he is in our top 5 spinners of all time yet is rarely talked about anymore. If not top 5, top 10.

[smithy]

As for Ferguson, i want him to succeed as much as anyone but what has he done really? You look at guys like Lehmann, Siddons, Law, Love, Martyn (for a long time) etc. who could not get a game in the past and Ferg is not even close to them. If Ferg was around in the late nineties he would not have even been talked about and the fact he is now is a very good indication of why Australia is not the best side in the world any more.

I agree with your comments rod but quoted the above because whilst I'm not saying Ferguson deserves a test spot, he's probably done more at the same age than what Clarke had when he got selected.

[Hondo]

I agree with your comments rod but quoted the above because whilst I'm not saying Ferguson deserves a test spot, he's probably done more at the same age than what Clarke had when he got selected.

Clarke (born 1981, test debut 2004-05):
1999-00: 7 games ave 28.78
2000-01: 5 games ave 25.57
2001-02: 9 games ave 39.00
2002-03: 10 games ave 47.68
2003-04: 3 games ave 60.75

Ferguson (born 1984):
2004-05: 10 games ave 39.57
2005-06: 10 games ave 36.14
2006-07: 8 games ave 24.92
2007-08: 8 games ave 33.02
2008-09: 9 games ave 42.93

On these figures Ferg has a better start but didn't ramp it up in his 3rd and 4th seasons like Clarke did.

[New Era]

We will be number 1 in the world within 3 years with the crop we have got coming through, just need to get some games into them asap

Who is going to be taking the wickets? Who is going to be making the runs? Khawaja is an exceptional talent i agree and i have no doubt that he will become a very very good player for Australia but he can't do it all himself.

Plenty of talent in australia. Try mitch marsh, okeefe,maddinson,copeland,paine,wade,ferguson and thats just a few. I am very confident that we have probably a dozen or more guys who can step up. Watch out for us in 2-3 years

Paine and Wade are wicketkeepers who bat. Only room for one and until Haddin retires no room for either.

Mitch Marsh, Maddinson have talent but that doesn't mean they will make it. Talent does not guarantee success at the higest level just ask plenty who have gone before them. Basically you are making assumptions on blokes who are yet to prove anything to suggest that Australia will be a dominant force in world cricket. What made Australia so strong in the past was not having one or two 18 or 19 year olds with potential it was having a dozen or more blokes who would be the first picked in almost any other countries Test sides but couldn't make ours.

As for Ferguson, i want him to succeed as much as anyone but what has he done really? You look at guys like Lehmann, Siddons, Law, Love, Martyn (for a long time) etc. who could not get a game in the past and Ferg is not even close to them. If Ferg was around in the late nineties he would not have even been talked about and the fact he is now is a very good indication of why Australia is not the best side in the world any more. That said he has a lot of talent and i really do hope he gets his chance and takes it. Just a shame that those others i mentioned as well as many more (Stuart MacGill from a bowling perspective) weren't born a little later.

Spot on Rod. The only positive to the nonesense being written by others as against the common sense demonstrated in your post is if everyone spoke with the same sensibilty as RR there'd be no forum.

[Rik E Boy]

Sacked time to move on. His captaincy has been poor at best for a long time.

Rubbish. As captain he has a great record.
And who is ready to replace him ?..... Clarke ?
You fools don't realise how adored he is in every other country in the world. They'd all love him batting at no. 3 for them and would value all the knowledge, experience and cricket intelligence he brings with him.
What Australia needs is a decent coach and a better talent development and identification system and some supporters who are realistic and more understanding of the big picture.
There were many "wise" minds who also wanted Hussey's head before this series. -" Too old, past his best, yada yada.. "
Where would we be if he hadn't played???????

There's a big difference between having a good record and been a poor captain when it comes to discussing Ricky Ponting. His captaincy in the 2005 Ashes series was diabolical. Glen McGrath does his ankle piss farting around before the test and we lose our best bowler. So what does Ponting do when he wins the toss? Sends England in! The Poms racked up a mighty first innings score in a test that in the end we lost narrowly.

Or how about one of this year's gems? Not having a square leg until Cook had scored about 400 runs for once out?? Bloody ridiculous. My grandma could have had a good captaincy record with the legends we had but he got well and truly found out once the legends retired. It seems that Ponting's best qualification for the job at the moment is that 'there is no one better'. If we had stuck with that line of thinking perhaps AB (a man who could captain with a weak squad) wouldn't have gotten the gig at all and we'd be subjected to several tearful press conferences by Kim Hughes and an even longer wait until Australian Cricket recovered. Australian Cricket will recover once again but it won't with Ponting leading the troops.


regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

I did hear ponting say that it was a "live" test he would have played. Come on its injured or its not.
I dont like seeing him go out like this but we must move on

Sorry Jim but not everyone agrees with your view. I am realistic like many other supporters but believe Ricky still has plenty left to offer (including runs). When a player over 33 has a lean patch he is always "too old" but when it's say Clarke, he's just "out of form" and we should give him more chances to come good (even promote him to captain). I am over armchair experts like you who think "scapegoats" and sackings are the only way forward. Fact is, we have nothing in the cupboard....period! So get used to some average performances as world cricket domination is cyclical just like every other sport and competition from A Grade country to the World stage...

Apart from on this forum, Ponting has gotten off pretty lightly I believe. A lot more pressure has been put on Pup who has at least scored an eighty this summer. PONTING IS DONE MATE. He isn't just having a lean patch, he is at the stage where he is finding out new ways to get out everytime. That means his concentration and eye are not what they were. I was howled down by one poster becuase I thought it was ridiculous that he was jumping across to middle and off to play balls on leg stump...it has cost his wicket twice this season. There is no way a batsman of Ponting's class should get out fishing down the leg side once in a series let alone twice in three tests.

As for what is in the cupboard one sure way to keep it bare is to play blokes long past their use by date. Khawaja in for Ponting was overdue and I wouldn't have had Ponting leading the side at all this series as I stated in October last year. You could see this coming.

regards,

REB

[Turbo]

Well said REB. Totally agree.

[purch]

Yeah I agree too REB. Esp. regarding the "there is no one better" comment...which I find quite laughable too. Ponting will go down as one of Australia's all-time best batsmen, no doubts. But his captaincy has been ordinary to say the least over many years now, regardless of "the cattle". I would have put Haddin as interim captain for this test - the guy has a good cricket brain and he's in form. I fear Clarke becoming Captain (ever) if he has learnt all of his leadership skills off R. Ponting..

I have other (personal) reasons for disliking Ponting as a person, which I won't go into. But despite his lack of hand-eye coordination these days, what I witnessed him do in the 4th test confrontation with Umpire Dar was an utter disgrace...but it came as no surprise to me. Regardless of the "he's frustrated" aspect it was deplorable. Incidents like that in cricket are not forgotten quickly. I still can't believe an Australian Captain did that. Test cricket is about humility (when you win), encouragement and self belief (when you lose), longevity and self control. Ponting hasn't displayed many of these values for quite a while now..

[The Cadet]

Sacked time to move on. His captaincy has been poor at best for a long time.

Rubbish. As captain he has a great record.
And who is ready to replace him ?..... Clarke ?
You fools don't realise how adored he is in every other country in the world. They'd all love him batting at no. 3 for them and would value all the knowledge, experience and cricket intelligence he brings with him.
What Australia needs is a decent coach and a better talent development and identification system and some supporters who are realistic and more understanding of the big picture.
There were many "wise" minds who also wanted Hussey's head before this series. -" Too old, past his best, yada yada.. "
Where would we be if he hadn't played???????

There's a big difference between having a good record and been a poor captain when it comes to discussing Ricky Ponting. His captaincy in the 2005 Ashes series was diabolical. Glen McGrath does his ankle piss farting around before the test and we lose our best bowler. So what does Ponting do when he wins the toss? Sends England in! The Poms racked up a mighty first innings score in a test that in the end we lost narrowly.

Or how about one of this year's gems? Not having a square leg until Cook had scored about 400 runs for once out?? Bloody ridiculous. My grandma could have had a good captaincy record with the legends we had but he got well and truly found out once the legends retired. It seems that Ponting's best qualification for the job at the moment is that 'there is no one better'. If we had stuck with that line of thinking perhaps AB (a man who could captain with a weak squad) wouldn't have gotten the gig at all and we'd be subjected to several tearful press conferences by Kim Hughes and an even longer wait until Australian Cricket recovered. Australian Cricket will recover once again but it won't with Ponting leading the troops.


regards,

REB

Well said REB

[Baron Greenback]

I would replace him with Clarke

I must admit I did have some level of interest as to where you were heading but after this little gem of divine wisdom, I can only presume you are some sort of simpleton.

It beggars belief that you dismiss Pontings captaincy of 5 years ago because he had the luxury of a great side that even you could supposedly have coached and then you completely dismiss his lack of cattle in the current side as being a factor in dropping in the world rankings from 1 to 5.

Your skills really are wasted, I'm staggered the ACA hasn't beaten down your door to help straighten this mess out.

Ha! Love it!

[Dutchy]

So is Pup in the team for his Captaincy?