Australia captain Ricky Ponting swings out at the ball. AP Photo/Matt Dunham
Ricky Ponting is back in England and is a man on a mission. He is still smarting from the Ashes loss in 2009, and since then, he has been hell bent on redemption. The Australian team has been relentless in its quest for the Holy Grail, the undisputed Number One cricketing nation.
India is nominally number one in Tests and England are the reigning Twenty20 Champions.
Australia, post Ashes, has taken on all comers in all formats and been bested only once in a final. Once again, the nemesis was England, and that too was against the odds: in the Twenty20 World Cup final.
Ponting was not there, but he would take it personally.
Since July 2009, Australia has beaten England 6-1 in ODI’s; won the Champions Trophy in South Africa, going through undefeated. Come from behind to beat India in India in a seven match one day series; won seven out of 8 tests against the West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand; beat both Pakistan and West indies in the ODIs; and reached the final of the Twenty20.
Ponting has not been involved in Twenty20 for a year and his focus is solely on Tests and ODI’s.
He would want to win every game in the next twelve months.
Readers of the Roar will be aware of my unstinting endorsement of Ponting as the best man to lead Australia and I continue to support his captaincy. I am convinced history will judge him more kindly than has been the case in the recent past.
Australia play five ODI’s against England, two Twenty20’s against Pakistan, and then two Tests against Pakistan in July/August. I will not dwell on the Pakistan Tests here as it is still some weeks away.
Pakistan may well have undergone more costume changes by then. It is a constantly changing soapie.
Ponting’s men start with a one day International against Ireland on Thursday and then have a warm-up game against Middlesex. So Ponting will lock horns with Strauss before the one dayers.
Ponting will not want to lose to England ever again.
The man from Mowbray is hurting and has been waiting for the opportunity to inflict pain on the enemy.
Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin are missing from the England games and have been replaced by Tim Paine and Josh Hazelwood. Hazelwood is being earmarked for bigger things and will figure prominently in the years ahead.
Bollinger and Harris are improving and will torment the England batting.
Dirk Nannes is not in the squad, but is playing in England, as is David Hussey. And should an epidemic strike, Simon Katich is also there plying his industrious and concentrated trade on the County circuit.
Steve Smith is the new blonde bomber in the Aussie squad and has been playing for a month in England. He is superb in the field and is capable of anything with the bat and the ball.
Australia no longer consider England easybeats in any format and will be bursting to assert their bragging rights over a team that continues to grow and surprise.
In Kieswetter, Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, England have three world class one day practioners. Graeme Swann is combative and is rightly ranked as the most improved spinner in world cricket.
And we may not have seen the best of this ugly duckling yet.
Watson, Ponting, Clarke and Hussey give the Australian batting the edge, and in the bowling, Anderson, Broad and Swann are at least the equal of Australia on paper. But as we all know the game is not played on paper.
It is played between the ears, and if Ponting can suppress the steam coming out of there, then Australia will win 3-2.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Viscount,Andy flower ,certainly,is an impressive young man and not prone to outlandish statements. Nielsen,can at times,appear your stereotypical "ponderosity" but I think his value is more in the backroom organisation of logistics. Increasingly the tactics are being formulated by Ponting,Clarke and Hussey.This I believe is a good thing because the coach can't play. There is a dependency on coaches at the elite level which sometimes is counter productive. Players can cease to think for themselves and find it difficult to correct when in the middle. At the recent French Open Serena ,Henin and Jankovic kept looking to their coaches for salvation. They have become too dependent on their entourage. There is no substitute for match time and this is where the players learn. I take your point about field placements for Michael Clarke and in 2005 for Mathew Hayden. But this goes back to Gooch and Alderman twenty years ago. When it comes off the Captain and coach look like Brearley. I would be happy for England to win the off field battle and for Australia to prevail on the pitch. In the end it will come to how Pietersen and Swann perform and for Australia Watson and Ponting. I hope Australia plays Smith and Hauritz as I do not think Watson is the answer for the fifth bowler. I dare say,that fielding might just give Australia the edge. I am perplexed at the continued omission of James Ansderson and he has also expressed angst at his non selection. He is England's most dangerous in England. I am more interested in how Australia and England play than the games against Pakistan. The tests against Pakistan are merely fulfilling an obligation and offer neither context or contest.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Vinay - Skills and execution are the most important factors, of course, but I think cricket allows ample scope for strategy and clever tactics. Just look at the way England positioned fielders close to Michael Clarke on the off side to exploit his tendency to hit in the air. I think cricket is becoming increasingly like rugby in terms of off-field analysis and planning, and I think England are ahead of the game in this respect.
Will
Guest
Fisher Price... At times, yes, Ponting has transgressed with regards to behaviour. However, in general the team's behaviour has improved greatly since the days of Waugh, and even Taylor. Ponting deserves credit for that. With regards to disappointment, sure, we lost the Ashes but it was a hell of a fight, and our fate was only ever sealed once the final wicket had been taken. Consider the players we have lost. Great players like Warne and McGrath. Consider the quality of the replacments. Despite this, Ponting has still managed to keep the team competitive. That is a massive achievement especially at test level. I can only think of one series where I didn't think Australia looked like they could win, against India in 2008, but traditionally Australia struggles in India. Apart from that, we have been very competitive in the post period after McGrath and Warne retired. There is no shame in losing, as long as you fight all the way. I have never seen a Ponting-led team throw the towel in. I rate Ponting highly as a captain, at the same time Im smart enough to know that you can't win them all. Ponting is the hard-nosed character we need to lead the team at the moment. I can't say for sure that we will win the world cup, or regain the Ashes this summer. At this stage, the Ashes are too close to call. But with Ponting as leader, I know that each Australian cricketer given the massive honour of playing in the Ashes in 5 months time, will be going all out for their captain and the Australian public and supporters from all different walks of life.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Fisher Price,sport,like life,is about disappointments . But we are taught to move on from these disappointments. It does no good to dwell . Those close to the team,including simon Katich and Michael Clarke are happy and privileged to play under his captaincy. The most immediate record is 7 wins out of 8 and one draw. Notwithstanding the "major batting collapses every second innings" it is a record any International captain would love to have. He has helped in the development of players like Watson,Bollinger,Harris,Johnson,Haddin and Hauritz. This is his team and they "want" to play under him. I am also impressed by his decision to forsake the IPL and concentrate on Tests and One Day Internationals. I also fully expect him to stand down from ODI's after the 2011 world cup and concentrate solely on Tests. It is a similar path that Tendulkar is taking and this should cheer the hearts of the traditionalists. I appreciate your comments and note you are distinctly unhappy with his leadership and believe there is a boy's club in operation. When a group like the above has played together for a while and been successful the it is inevitable that they would band together. There was a boy's club in the Chappell/Lillee/Marsh era and so tooin succeeding successful eras. It is a natural outcome of success. Australia have blooded Hughes,Steve Smith and Josh hazelwood in the recent past so it is not as if there is a vestal virgin lock on the team.
Fisher Price
Guest
Once more, Australia's disappointments under the leadership of Ricky Ponting are forgotten, notwithstanding the arrogant outbursts and general poor sportsmanship which appears every time the team plays. The clear struggles (major batting collapse every second innings) against Pakistan and the West Indies should have sealed his removal as skipper.
sheek
Guest
Vinay, The history of Aussie cricket test captains is a proud & successful one. Even an apparently ordinary captain by Aussie standards is perhaps superior to many captains from other countries. The decision to appoint each successive captain is never taken lightly. A great deal of thought goes into the decision, which is often reflected by longevity in the incumbent. Since I started following the game in 1968, regular captains have been - Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, Bobby Simpson (2nd stint), Graeme Yallop, Kim Hughes, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh & Ricky Ponting. That's only 10 regular captains in 42 years. Keepers Barry Jarman & Adam Gilchrist both filled in as emergency skippers during this time. So 12 all-up. There have also been some outstanding vice-captains (who didn't progress to captain) in this time. Apart from the afore mentioned Jarman & Gilchrist, we've had - Ian Redpath, Keith Stackpole, Rod Marsh, Craig Serjeant, Jeff Thomson, John Maclean, Rodney Hogg, Graeme Wood, David Boon, Geoff Marsh, Ian Healy & Michael Clarke. By contrast, since 1968, English captains I can remember were - Colin Cowdrey, R.Illingworth, A.Lewis, M.Denness, A.Greig, M.Brearley, G.Boycott, I.Botham, R.Willis, M.Gatting, D.Gower, G.Gooch, J.Emburey, Chris Cowdrey, M.Atherton, A.Lamb, A.Stewart, Nasser Hussein, M.Vaughan, K.Pietersen, A.Flintoff & A. Strauss. Maybe P.Collingwood for a test? That's about 22-23 regular & stand-in captains, & I might have even missed one or two. So almost double the Aussie output in the same time-frame.
sheek
Guest
Sorry Vinay, It was a double play on 20 & lobster. Calling T20 a double lobster wasn't meant to be complimentary to T20. I appreciate my humour can be obscure at times..... !
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Will, what many don't appreciate is that Australia has had only 4 Test Captains since and including AB in 1984. Adam Gilchrist captained three or four when Ponting was injured. Compare this with 17 English captains,16 from pakistan,15 from the Windies,11 each from India and new Zealand,10 from Sri Lanka and 8 from SAF who only were admitted back in 1991. It is not hard to work out why Australia has been the dominant cricket nation for the last decade and a half. Ponting has three World Cup medals and led on two of those occassions. His 150 in South Africa was a masterclass in one day batting. And he is the deadliest fielder in the circle. There is no one that hits the stumps more often. Not even Jonty and AbD, He is the most successful captain in the history of Test Crciket. He has lost two Ashes by the narrowest of margins and even then he was always playing to win. This is an important consideration when people are complaining about Test Cricket being boring. Ponting has always been positive and this has been the Australian way. It is a proud legacy and this is what makes the conversation of Test Cricket so meaningful and endearing. We remember it long after the party of the Twenty20.
Brett McKay
Guest
certainly hard to get excited about them Vinay, something about cricket in football season and all that. Not being able to watch it doesn't help, admittedly. Not to mention that little soccer carnival going on over in South Africa currently!! I'll try and keep track of happenings in England, I really will, but I don't know that I'll be offering much up in the way of analysis, expert or any other type...
Will
Guest
I agree, I have always thought Ponting to be a good captain, who has been harshly judged. That is not to say that he hasn't deserved some critisicm at certain points - because he has. However, overall, I think he has been a good captain. People forget that Ponting has been ODI captain since the start of 2002, and test captain since the start of 2004. That is a long time, in both forms of the game. How often do we see captains from overseas come and go as the pressure eventually leaves its mark. Ponting is the right character to lead this young Australian team, hopefully we have navigated through the troubled waters and that a period of sustained success is around the corner. Ponting's strength lies with his leadership and the fact all members of the team look up to him. As a captain that is important. Im confident that this Australian team is on the brisk of a great period of success, in the years to come Ponting will get the credit he deserves for shaping this team. I dare say, long after Ponting has retired, that his legacy will still leave an inprint on the team, much like Allan Border did. Ricky Ponting leads from the front, and never gives up, at the end of the day, that is all that you can ask. He has been a sensational player for the Australian cricket community. I hope Australia can regain the Ashes at the end of the year, because we deserve them.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
sledgeross,mythology says India and Australia were joined as a landmass millions of years ago. So,it could be argued that all Australian players are indian or vice versa. Seriously,though,if we choose to adopt a country and call it home then Kieswetter et al are English. It was not so long ago that Kepler played for Australia.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Brett, just shows how much I know about money or the colour of it. You learn something every day.BTW what do you think of the two tests against pakistan..no context and no contest?
Brett McKay
Guest
Vinay, it's just a colloquialism for the colour of the $20 note. $20s are lobsters, $50s are pineapples, and I'm led to believe there is such a thing as a $100 note, but I've never seen one ;-) I believe they're as hard to find as Tassie Tigers. Certainly in my house, anyway...
sledgeross
Guest
"In Kieswetter, Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, England have three world class one day practioners. " Vinay, should read "England have two South Africans and an Irishman who are world class one day practicioners" ;) What ever happened to Marty McCague lol
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Kersi, the rivalry btween australia and England will fill more seats in england this summer than the tests against Pakistan. I see Afridi scored, arguably, his best one day hundred yesterday but they still lost to Sri Lanka. I hope Pakistan can play good Test Cricket in England but I doubt they can compete without Yousuf and Younis..the Y factors of Pakistan cricket. Forget the X factor. They do not have any.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
sheek,you have lost me my learned friend. I have been caught up in Steve Kaless's "colour" debate and miss the context of the lobsters..unless you are referring to the lobs served up to "spoilt' batsmen in that abridged poker game we call Twenty20.
sheek
Guest
Vinay, To borrow from the Aussie vernacular, Twenty20 is not one, but two lobsters! (As in the colour of our $20 bills). Droll, I know.....
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Well-written and well-thought-out post, Vinay. I can understand Australia playing Pakistan in England because their previous commitment to play Pakistan in Pakistan was derailed on security reasons. But why these 5 ODIs against England in England? The two countries had played six ODIs in 2009 in England and will play more in the 2010-11 season in Australia. I think this is overkill before the all-important Ashes starting in November.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Lolly,Kieswetter was given a chance and was largely responsible for England's win in the final over Australia. He was not overawed and executed well under pressure. In fact he shaded KP,who is England's other world class player. I do not underestimate Strauss,either. He is the key at the top of the order and remains a good catcher. If he fails at the top then England have a problem.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Viscount,I am not a great advocate of coaches at the International senior level. Maybe a qualified psychologist like Rudi Webster to sort out the mollycoddled lot. Bobby Simpson was the first Australian fulltime coach and concentrated on a punishing fielding and catching regime. He can take credit for making Mark Waugh and Warne the great slippers they became. In the words of Gary Player: " The harder I train the luckier I become" I ask: How much "cerebral" do you need on the cricket pitch? It is skill and heightened spatiality that set apart the greats.Not necessarily an IQ in the 150's. Far better if you can bowl at 150.