Ponting plummets out of form, can’t be picked again
Columnist By David Lord, 20 Feb 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, Mike Hussey, One day cricket, Ricky Ponting
It’s the end of the ODI road for Ricky Thomas Ponting. It doesn’t matter if hamstrung Michael Clarke cannot be fit enough for the next game against Sri Lanka at Bellerive on Friday, Ponting has done his dash after 375 ODIs.
His last five digs – 2,1, 6, 2, 7 – a total of 18 runs at an average 3.60, off a painful to watch 66 deliveries.
What has happened to the 37-year-old veteran, arguably one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era?
He’s but a limp shadow of his last five Test innings against India recently – 60, 134, 7, 221, 60* – for a handsomely put together 542 runs at an average of 135.50.
Ponting has lost it – yet it’s not necessarily an age issue, with 37-year-old Mike Hussey showing he has still got it.
He’s batted four times in the ODI series, missing the loss to India at Adelaide on the rotation system, scoring 45, 23, 13, 59 for an average 35.
Nothing flash, but reliable.
And that’s been Hussey’s calling as an international. He’s the only batsman in the world to career average over 50 in both Tests and ODIs, a phenomenal double, averaging 50.82 in Tests, and 50.52 in ODIs.
The list of next bests reads Jacques Kallis – 57.02 and 45.55, Sachin Tendulkar – 55.44 and 44.88, and Ponting – 53.44 and 42.03, among others.
Australia’s younger brigade would do well to take a leaf out of Hussey’s book of consistency.
Peter Forrest (26) is the best of them, averaging 44.66 in this series. But David Warner (25), and Matt Wade (24) are way below potential in averaging 22.80 and 28.80 respectively.
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The Crowd Says (20) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
- Explore:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, Mike Hussey, One day cricket, Ricky Ponting
February 20th 2012 @ 8:15am
Disco said | February 20th 2012 @ 8:15am | Report comment
Ponting will remain for his mediocrity is accepted. These selectors are as bad as the last lot.
February 20th 2012 @ 8:28am
Red Kev said | February 20th 2012 @ 8:28am | Report comment
Here’s hoping he’ll be “rested” Brad Haddin style.
February 20th 2012 @ 8:59am
Chris said | February 20th 2012 @ 8:59am | Report comment
Motion seconded.
February 20th 2012 @ 9:11am
Chris said | February 20th 2012 @ 9:11am | Report comment
Assuming Clarke is over his injury and comes back into the team it would be astonishing if Ponting wasn’t dropped to make way for Pup – even the coach has come out and said he is “jaded”.
To me David Warner’s problems look like he’s thinking too much about trying to pace himself. Langer really is a disastrous batting coach…
February 20th 2012 @ 10:49am
Al said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Hear hear! Get rid of langer and see what effect it has on our batsmen… I’m sure it can only be positive.
February 20th 2012 @ 10:50am
Behold said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:50am | Report comment
Warner’s lack of quality has nothing to do with Langer, the selectors shouldn’t be picking someone who is so awful at one day cricket. He has an ODD average of 29, you expect that to go down a little against international bowlers – so the best they can expect is an av of 25 which he isn’t getting, drop him and be done with it. He is never going to graft an innings together, it is either hit out or get out and at present it should be get out of the team. It is an absolute joke that this guy is being bandied about as a potential captain, when he has neither grit nor determination. He should thank his lucky stars that Greg Chapell took interest in him, because he should have never been selected to debut for Australia in t20s when he was, and that should of never lead to his selection in the ODI team, let alone a 200 against Zimbabwe of all nations, particularly an understrength Zimbabwe, lead to him being selected in the Test team. The sooner Watson is fit and this joker is dropped from ODI team the better, and in the time being give a proper batsmen a go – Khawaja for instance, will have a much more prolific international career than David Warner will ever have.
February 20th 2012 @ 11:05am
Disco said | February 20th 2012 @ 11:05am | Report comment
That Langer hasn’t been ‘rested’ is a farce.
February 20th 2012 @ 9:23am
Matt F said | February 20th 2012 @ 9:23am | Report comment
The next game is in Hobart so Ponting won’t be dropped for that one, though he really should if Clarke is fit. I just don’t see the point of sticking with him in the ODI side. There are a fair few players making runs in the Ryobi Cup this year that deserve a chance and he’s not going to be around for the next World Cup anyway. With a first choice XI potentially incuding Watson, Clarke, Husseyx2, Lee among others we’re not short of experience either.
February 20th 2012 @ 11:06am
Disco said | February 20th 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Been a while since Hobart was Punter’s home town.
February 20th 2012 @ 11:19am
Matt F said | February 20th 2012 @ 11:19am | Report comment
Yes but he still plays for Tasmania (on the rare occasion he’s available) and will be a big drawcard for obvious reasons…..
February 20th 2012 @ 10:18am
jameswm said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Ponting’s scored about 13,000 ODI runs.
Next best Aussie is about 9,000.
I wouldn’t drop anyone on a handful of bad scores. How was he batting in ODIs before the current slump?
February 20th 2012 @ 10:35am
Chris said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:35am | Report comment
The fact that he’s had a long, successful career is irrelevant. Look at what the selectors did to Simon Katich – he had been the best performing Test batsman over the past two years. Yet the selectors dropped him because they felt he wasn’t the best option for the future.
All I want from the selectors is consistency. And if they’re going to exhibit any of this, it is very clear that Ricky Ponting’s decline is well advanced, and as such needs to be dropped in favour of someone who can perform at a greater level into the future. He plays the odd good game in the field, but he is mis-fielding plenty lately (something he rarely did at his peak) and he is continuing to get out in the same manner as he has all summer (unbalanced at the crease). He’s horribly out of form and is easily the most underperforming player in the team. Plenty of other players have been dropped despite being in comparatively better form. Consistency please, selectors!
February 20th 2012 @ 10:45am
jameswm said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:45am | Report comment
They dropped Katich because after some poor team performances, one of the older guys had to go, and Katich was injured and the easy target.
I don’t think his long and successful career is irrelevant. But I don’t think it’s everything, as the selectors seem to. I think it’s one of several factors to take into account when selecting.
- what are their career performances like?
- what sort of form are they in now?
- are they batting fluidly?
- when is the next WC?
- what tours have we got coming up?
- are there youngsters knocking the door down?
- are there youngsters we want to blood (Forrest was a weird choice though)?
February 20th 2012 @ 10:45am
Matt F said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Here you go
http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/statistics/Players/PlayerSeries_ODI.asp?PlayerID=2041
The issue here is more about what he can offer the ODI side. If the next World Cup was at some point in the next 12 months then you could make an arguement that we should stick with him because when he’s good he’s very good and at his best could win us a World Cup. However he will have retired by 2015. Ponting, Husseyx2 and Lee will definately not be around come 2015 and it’s better to phase them out over the next 12-18 months then lose them all at the same time. It makes sense to start now and, on form, Ponting is the logical candidate to go first.
February 20th 2012 @ 10:52am
Behold said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:52am | Report comment
And David Hussey shouldn’t have won a recall to the team, even though he is playing at present the best he has ever played for Australia. Ponting is also the logical choice to go because he also will not be representing Australia in the t20 world cup. Hussey x2 and Lee all will be.
February 20th 2012 @ 11:08am
Disco said | February 20th 2012 @ 11:08am | Report comment
Well, one score aside he wasn’t that flash in the World Cup.
February 20th 2012 @ 11:15am
Red Kev said | February 20th 2012 @ 11:15am | Report comment
I think it’s clear that we should be picking Ben Cutting (top score in both innings for Queensland against Tasmania 79* and 66*) as a specialist batsman who can bowl a bit.
February 20th 2012 @ 3:46pm
Dan said | February 20th 2012 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
Red kev, pick Ben cutting as a batsman? Surely your taking the mick? Hes a fair player but There’s 100 guys I would pick infront of him
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February 20th 2012 @ 5:52pm
Red Kev said | February 20th 2012 @ 5:52pm | Report comment
Yes that was tongue in cheek or ‘taking the mick’ as you put it.
It was more an inference that my beloved Bulls suck at laying willow on leather.
February 20th 2012 @ 11:09pm
Pillock said | February 20th 2012 @ 11:09pm | Report comment
David you must know what the Australian selectors are thinking. God knows your the only one.