Punter can bat well but he just can’t captain
Roar Guru By Rickety Knees, 11 Jul 2009 Rickety Knees is a Roar Guru
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- Australian Cricket, Cricket, english cricket, Ricky Ponting, The Ashes
Australia's captain Ricky Ponting gestures - AP Photo/Gautam Singh
It’s the morning of the second day of the first Test of the 2009 Ashes. We have the Poms 7 for, with the opportunity to get them all out for less than 400.
Punter decides (as he always does) that his one day cricket strategy is the best way to mop up the tail. Bowl your quicks, set a tight field, and wait for the batsmen to get themselves out.
The Poms tail wags and all of a sudden the score is 435. Ouch!
Modern cricketers live and breath one day cricket, with quicks, medium pacers and spinners bowling darts. How many lower order batsmen would have faced a left-arm over-the-wrist spinner who bowls with a tantalising loop and can spin the ball in both directions?
For me, Punter is a great batsman but a very robotic and predictable skipper.He does not keep the batsman guessing. He needs to do better.
Previous Ashes Tests have been won and lost by the odd run. He needs to show a lot more imagination with his captaincy.
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July 11th 2009 @ 4:55pm
Virgil said | July 11th 2009 @ 4:55pm | Report comment
Katich for captain.
July 11th 2009 @ 5:34pm
Jacks Dad said | July 11th 2009 @ 5:34pm | Report comment
I reckon he’s too conservative. Warney had the best brain for capatincy, he was always trying to think the batsman out & quick to execute his plan (Gilly was similar) but Horny Warney just couldnt keep his pants on & this not acceptable to the ACB because as we know the Captain of the Aussie Team is not just a great cricketer he is a spokesman for numerous corporate interests & usually winds up Australian of the Year.
July 11th 2009 @ 9:32pm
ThelmaWrites said | July 11th 2009 @ 9:32pm | Report comment
Mattyg
I stopped watching cricket when Steve Waugh retired, so I’ve lost touch.
When was that tour of India which Gillie captained? I didn’t know we’d won a series in India finally.
Thanks.
July 12th 2009 @ 1:04am
davido said | July 12th 2009 @ 1:04am | Report comment
The stats dont lie. He has the best win loss ratio of any Australian captain.
As for him having the talent, that is also a load of codswallop.
Sure we had talent, but just check out the immense batting talent India have had over the same period. Yet his equivalent captain Tendulkar folded and wilted. Look at Ponting’s comeback from recent losses. Really inspiring.
July 13th 2009 @ 10:05am
Rickety Knees said | July 13th 2009 @ 10:05am | Report comment
I rest my case – bowling a part time off spinner to two left handers to win a test match – where the ball spins away and they can shoulder arms and not have to play the ball …………………
July 13th 2009 @ 8:08pm
marees said | July 13th 2009 @ 8:08pm | Report comment
what about not targeting and attacking collywood earlier. they were trying to get Anderson out, which was a very bad strategy. but still the advantage is with australia for the series.
July 13th 2009 @ 8:54pm
westy said | July 13th 2009 @ 8:54pm | Report comment
If Punter’s bad then Straus is an absolute stinker.
July 13th 2009 @ 10:23pm
Skull said | July 13th 2009 @ 10:23pm | Report comment
Agree with Davido above. This is tall poppy syndrome at it’ worst. If I remember correctly, these same criticisms were levelled at Border when he was captain. Border didnt have too many all time great bowlers, so decided to play it fairly safe. It was only late in his career when he had Warne that his captaincy improved (according to the “experts”). When Ponting had Warne & McGrath bowling and the opposition needed to get 500 because of all the great batsmen we had, he was a genius, now the bowling stocks are fairly dry what else can he do. I admit sometimes he overdoes it but I still think he does a reasonable job. I just wish people would get off his back. Just because he doesn’t fit the Taylor/Waugh mould doesnt mean he is not worthy of the role.
The point is all great captains have had great bowlers at their disposal, even the Chappels and the Benauds
July 13th 2009 @ 11:15pm
jack said | July 13th 2009 @ 11:15pm | Report comment
Ponting is a terrible captain. Absolutely gun bat but useless as a captain and a bad sport to boot. He has improved from 2005 where, you could see warney was having to run the show. Tactically he can’t set a field beyond what the coach provides before the game. His fall back is so defensive it is unbelievable.
Of course he has a great win loss record. He had 4 of the best players of all time in his side Gilly, Warne, McGrath and himself. Not to mention Hayden and even langer.
Now the side is a bit more even – still better than most, you see his true character. A spoilt brat. It is simply laughable, him accusing the poms of being bad sports.
No australian of the year here mate. Possiblely the 2nd best bat of all time though.
July 13th 2009 @ 11:33pm
westy said | July 13th 2009 @ 11:33pm | Report comment
Unlike the English boys Ponting is a Housing Commission boy from our smallest state. He was hardly spoiled and has fought hard to get where he is. Hard nosed competitive and absolute fighter to the end and a little sharp edge and second best batsman we have produced to Bradman.
There is some commonality in character to Australian cricketing captains . Ponting may not be the best but he and Steve Waugh /Taylor Ian Chappel and Richie Benaud have some things in common.