Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting is the best Australian batsman of his generation, probably of several generations. His relentless run scoring during this last decade has won world cups and test series. However, it can be clearly seen on his graph above that he has been in decline for a number of years. The start of which seems to coincide with the retirement of Shane Warne and Glen McGrath. He has been captain of Australia since the beginning of 2004.

A field of dreams for Ricky Ponting

Can you imagine how difficult it is to be Ricky Ponting today? For years he has cruised around the outfield marshalling Shane Warne and Glenn MacGrath, Brett Lee and Stuart MacGill. When they had finished embarrassing world batsmen Ricky could have a bat with Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer. He could watch and grin as Damian Martyn and Adam Gilchrist made the opposition bowlers wince. What does Ricky have now? Memories are about all – a side without a bowling attack. A side whose batsmen are already nervous of facing the English attack tomorrow. A side where the team talk for tomorrow is ‘go to bed and think of rain’.

However meagre the resources sure the captain’s job is to get the most out of them. Two of Ricky’s decisions in the current test staggered me.

Firstly, before lunch on the second day England had reached 80-1 and the Australian attack bowled wide of off stump. This was a plan: a negative confining plan; a plan to stop England scoring. There are times and places for this sort of thing and 80-1 with ball less than 20 overs old is definitely not one of them. Ricky hadn’t even tried his spinner at this point – what sort of a message does it send to Doherty?

England came out to bat after lunch on the third day in a very strong position. Petersen and Collingwood looked good. The forty minute break will have disturbed the batsmen’s concentration so it is vital Aussies have an attacking blast before settling back to containment. Who does Ricky choose to bowl: Shane Watson and Marcus North! Bowlers Ricky had such faith in he didn’t even let them have a bowl in the morning session.

Tough times for Ricky – I wonder how his batting will hold up…

Australia on the ropes

Australia 2-3 (or 3-2 if you like), who would have thought it? It was a bit like watching a dream – Ponting, Katich and Clarke behaving in the way so many English sides had done before them. The bowling was too good and the batting not up to it. In previous Ashes contests I would watch Hayden and Langer play and miss. Play and miss. Struggle. Then, as if by magic Australia would be 60-0 and our bowling would be ineffective. Huh? I would think ‘those lucky so-and-sos’, ‘if we had their luck we would win too’. Of course what I didn’t realise at the time was that playing and missing is down to ability and talent. The really good player doesn’t nick off to slip. The quality play finds a way to survive. Ponting, who by any yardstick is a quality player, appears to have the weight of a continent on his shoulders. He just doesn’t look like he is enjoying it anymore. How much fun can presiding over the destruction of a once great cricketing nation be - Brian Lara. Clarke looks like a man who has broken something and doesn’t want anyone to know. Future captain? No chance.

Of course England may well bat poorly tomorrow – but that will not change what is happening to Australia. Cricket is a fantastic leveller.

Ricky Ponting

I think there is a lot to like about Ricky Ponting. He is one of the best Australian batsmen ever, possibly the best since Bradman. He is a brilliant fielder – certainly in the top five of all time. At post match interviews Ricky often gives his players and the opposition a lot of credit, quite often giving the most honest of reports. His interview with Michael Atherton at the end of the Lords’ Test was a good example. He eloquently spoke about the game, England, Flintoff and Australia’s efforts and put to bed any question of unfortunate umpiring. He was applauded by the English crowd. So why don’t people like him? I think the problem is that he makes lots of contentious comments before, during and after a match. He is constantly sniping as if he somehow believes that matches are won in the newspapers rather than on the cricket pitch. People remember his barbed comments more than his brilliant batsmanship and it riles them. We want cricketers to be heroes and not actors in a soap opera. Give it a rest Ricky, we will like you more for it.

Ricky Ponting

A special request for Danny -- Ricky Ponting is surely one of, if not the test batsman of this millennium; his attacking style and prodigious run-scoring has put him regularly at the top of the world rankings. On ten occasions his three match average has been over 100 with a highest of 149. It is worth remembering that Ponting has rarely played against Bangladesh (260 test runs) and that he has been captain of Australia since the beginning of 2004.


Ricky Ponting Test Career up to 23rd April 2008