Ricky Ponting has been a much better captain in the field over the last few matches. With a weakened team, and missing some of his go-to guys, he’s finishing the summer much stronger than he began it.
But – and it’s a big one – he has been fairly criticized for not having a Plan B to fall back on when things go awry. And he did it again in their most recent ODI.
Throughout the entire summer we’ve seen that South Africa have been better at chasing. In fact, that’s pretty much all we’ve seen. Australia has won the only game where South Africa set a target, and I’m not sure T20 counts.
The definition of insanity is to keep implementing the same losing strategy. So, why not ask South Africa to bat Ricky?
It’s because Ricky’s Plan A is to bat first and it’s a winning strategy. Clearly batting second is South Africa’s preference, and as a winning strategy, it seems to be working much better than ours.
It’s time for Ponting to think outside the box.
FunkieD
Guest
Fair comments Horatio and Rabbitz, I should have added that team strategy is only as good as the minds that come up with the options. And in this respect, the coaching staff have failed. I'm not sure that the brains trust of Tim Nielsen (coach), Stephen Bernard (manager), Troy Cooley (Bowling), Stuart Karppinen (conditioning) , Mike Young (fielding) and Alex Kountouris (physio) fill me with oodles of confidence.
Rabbitz
Guest
Actually Horatio, I don't think that is right about Ponting trying to get his mug on TV all the time. If this was the case, why is it left to Michael Clarke to front the media, especially after particularly bad sessions of play? As I said in an earlier post, I do not see a Plan A let alone a Plan B, so I agree with the coaching staff taking a good deal of the blame as well.
Horatio
Guest
What Ponting is doing, and fair enough, is getting on the screen as much as he can so as to come out on top of the "most watched person on TV " list; which the ad agencies use to sell their clients as to whom they should feature in association with their product. What we continually do, becomes our habits. In cricket, we have habitually, and in an amateur way, protected our National Coach from post media attention as happens in other professional sport; and it is not in the public interest to continue this way. We export cricket coaches all over the world, yet we not only expect them to front up to the after match interviews and take responsibility - our media demands it. Why the double standard at home? Answer, habit... We were thrashed by India and well beaten by South Africa across the board. Its time for change, time for our habits to change. Time to place ourselves from the Board down through our Coaches. outside the old square and face the music. No more using the Captain. No more holding a captain responsible for developing test stratagies and the tactics necessary to implement plan A. The professional role of the captain is to fine tune the tactics on field - and play well, consistantly.
Peta Oahu
Guest
Is it Ponting who should have a plan B? In womens sport, it is the Coach who conceives plan A B - and C if necessary?
Michael C
Guest
There's long..........................pauses....and short pauses.
Brett McKay
Expert
MC, glad to the long ............................. pauses back too!! ;-)
Michael C
Guest
Sth Africa chased pretty well a target of over 400 in Jo'berg a couple of years ago............Australia might have some 'mental baggage' with respect to this particular adversary. (actually, around that time, didn't Australia struggle to defend big totals in a 3 match series in NZ with Mike Hussey captaining?) It may not be that new a phenomena.....just more obvious playing RSA 4 (soon to be 5) games in succession at home.
Brett McKay
Expert
Funkie, I couldn't agree with you more, I was just pointing out that you said in your artcile that "Australia has won the only game where South Africa set a target", which wasn't the case. By the way, it seems to be a South African preference to chase, and it goes back years. I don't know why, of even if it is planned, but the stereotypical view of SAf in one dayers is that they'll bowl first 9 times of ten. (And even on the tenth time, it's a close-run thing). Mind you, with Steyn, Ntini, Kallis, and the Morkels, I'd reckon I'd bowl first mostly too...
FunkieD
Guest
Brett, We also won the Sydney test batting first. My point is that SA look really comfortable chasing and we don't look nearly as assured setting a target and defending it as we once did. And if you look as the relative quality of the attacks between two years ago now the reason is apparent. Our batsmen can't escape blame either, and maybe with the ones we have right now, they're more comfortable knowing what to chase than trying to set the best target they can.
Brett McKay
Expert
Just need to pick you up on something Funkie: Australia also batted first in the game they won, the day match down in Hobart where South Africa couldn't quite get 270-ish...
Rabbitz
Guest
Plan B? Plan B? I doubt there is actually a Plan A. Just look at the "caucus meeting" held between most overs - Ponting is not running the show, it is being run by committee. Have a think about just about anything run by a committee, it doesn't work as it lacks direction and commitment. Get a skipper with some authority (which immediately excludes Clarke, M)