Ricky Ponting has failed to seize the moment in the last three Tests in Nagpur, Perth and Melbourne, resulting in losses in each. These repeated strategic blunders should have resulted in his replacement as captain.
It is becoming apparent that the rot besetting Australian Cricket has started at the top.
I suspect that the 14 man Cricket Australia Board (which includes Alan Border and Mark Taylor) will wait until the current season is over, when the advertising contracts featuring Ponting, Hayden, Lee, Symonds, and Hussey, have elapsed before making any evaluation on where Australian Cricket is at.
If true, this creates a dangerous precedence if high profile advertisers are influencing the retention of out of form players for commercial reasons. Though this behaviour does fall into line with the power of advertising in all forms of business.
Both Border and Taylor have high profile media careers which rely on advertising revenue for their livelihood, and no doubt they will continue to advance their employers interests.
Ponting reports to the board. It will be interesting to see which way Jack Clarke (Chairman) and his board go on Ponting – given the many different products he is currently flogging on TV and any perceived risk to associated revenue to Cricket Australia.
Allowing high profile Cricketers – who should be soley selected on ability and form – to be packaged up into TV marketing strategies creates a complication that is not in the best interests of Australian Cricket.
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