Ricky Ponting's been Australian captain ever since I can remember. As someone who only started taking an interest in cricket circa 2003/4, Ponting was well established as one of the world's best batsmen, and had his feet firmly under the table as captain of the world's best team. Ricky hasn't made an international hundred in over a year, and the all-conquering side that he led is long gone. With yet another Ashes defeat over the past few months, and a potential quarter-final exit to India ahead, we could be seeing the final days of Ricky Ponting as Australian captain.
Ricky's time as Aussie skipper has been spoken about to death. He had some incredible years, including countless records, two World Cups, an Ashes whitewash, and general dominance over the cricketing galaxy. Ponting himself was piling on the runs, the driving force behind the most forceful side in recent cricketing history. But the players of that side have mostly hung up their boots, and even Ponting's runs have seemingly disappeared.
There are two sides to the issue - Ponting as a captain and Ponting as a batsman. While he has overseen some remarkable success, he has also seen a remarkable slump in Aussie fortunes, losing Ponting's third Ashes as well as going into the series having lost seven consecutive matches in all formats. The decline has been mirrored by Ponting's personal failures, and there have been growing calls for him to be dropped regardless of his success or failure as captain, as he simply isn't justifying his position in the side as a batsman.
Australia have many options, both as potential batting replacements, and as captain. Michael Clarke has been groomed as captain ever since he first kissed the baggy green, and while he may not have the support of the Aussie public, he certainly has the backing of the selectors. He would be ready to step up immediately, as proved by the success he's had when assuming the role when Ponting's missed out through injury. And as a batsman, Ponting may not be missed thanks to the real strength in depth that Australia boast. In tests, Usman Khawaja showed that he is able to bat at number three thanks to his (albeit brief) stay at the crease in the final Ashes test, and the continued rise of Callum Ferguson, Shaun Marsh and even Phil Hughes suggest there will be no issue either in ODIs.
Even at the age of 38 Ponting's refused to talk about retirement, but a loss to India tomorrow may take the decision out of his hands. You feel that only taking the World Cup back to Australia for yet another time could save him, but even that may be too late. The odds are stacking up against Ponting, and while he clearly has the mental fortitude for the occasion, does he have the strength left in his little goblin legs for one last push? Ponting's captaincy and international future is on the line, and even he may not have enough to save himself. Exile at an English county may beckon, and tomorrow could see the end of an era, with the end of Ricky Ponting.
Showing posts with label Phil Hughes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Hughes. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Day One at Perth
Background: A topsy-turvy draw in Brisbane was followed by a caning in Adelaide, laving England 1-0 up, and able to retain the Ashes this test.
How did it start: With some anthems, and some changes to the teams. Australia swapped in Hughes, Johnson, Hilfenhaus and Smith for Katich, Doherty, Bollinger and North, and England replaced the injured Broad with Tremlett.
Where did it all go wrong for Australia?: Lost all their wickets. Again.
Where did it all go right for Australia?: The tail wagged, giving their score a degree of acceptability.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Allowing the tail to wag, adding precious runs at the end of the innings.
Where did it all go right for England?: Yet again started off superbly, and put Australia under the hammer from the get go.
Who won each session?: Morning - England. Afternoon - Even Stevens (but England still ahead in the game). Evening - Sort of Australia, but mostly England.
Who won the day?: Even though the 2nd and 3rd sessions weren't as clear cut, the damage was done, and it was easily England's day.
Crumb of comfort?: Australia's lower order are in form. And England are yet to bat on a pitch which was doing a bit.
Shot of the day: Hilfy creaming one through mid off.
Ball of the day: Anderson's to Harris.
Celebration of the day: Anderson giving Haddin some when he bowled Harris. How every wicket should be celebrated.
Catch of the day: While Swann's one-handed reach was a great effort, Collingwood's absolute blinder wins both catch of the day, and catch of the decade.
Man of the day: As well as Anderson bowled, Tremlett gets the nod for a great comeback performance after 3 years in the international wilderness. Honourable mentions to Hussey, Haddin and Johnson, who got some of the initiative back.
And finally... Ashes Oddity: Collingwood's catch. The likes of which will never be seen again...
How did it start: With some anthems, and some changes to the teams. Australia swapped in Hughes, Johnson, Hilfenhaus and Smith for Katich, Doherty, Bollinger and North, and England replaced the injured Broad with Tremlett.
Where did it all go wrong for Australia?: Lost all their wickets. Again.
Where did it all go right for Australia?: The tail wagged, giving their score a degree of acceptability.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Allowing the tail to wag, adding precious runs at the end of the innings.
Where did it all go right for England?: Yet again started off superbly, and put Australia under the hammer from the get go.
Who won each session?: Morning - England. Afternoon - Even Stevens (but England still ahead in the game). Evening - Sort of Australia, but mostly England.
Who won the day?: Even though the 2nd and 3rd sessions weren't as clear cut, the damage was done, and it was easily England's day.
Crumb of comfort?: Australia's lower order are in form. And England are yet to bat on a pitch which was doing a bit.
Shot of the day: Hilfy creaming one through mid off.
Ball of the day: Anderson's to Harris.
Celebration of the day: Anderson giving Haddin some when he bowled Harris. How every wicket should be celebrated.
Catch of the day: While Swann's one-handed reach was a great effort, Collingwood's absolute blinder wins both catch of the day, and catch of the decade.
Man of the day: As well as Anderson bowled, Tremlett gets the nod for a great comeback performance after 3 years in the international wilderness. Honourable mentions to Hussey, Haddin and Johnson, who got some of the initiative back.
And finally... Ashes Oddity: Collingwood's catch. The likes of which will never be seen again...
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Podcast - Ashes: Perth Preview
Download the Short Midwicket Podcast on iTunes
Keeping it in the family this week (not like that) with Fantasy Ashes stuff from Will's dad and sister (as well as the ever-present Will). Chris Tremlett is (probably) in, as is Steve Smith, Phil Hughes and Mitchell Johnson, so they are discussed, as is the WACA. Literally everything you need in a podcast, Richard.
Go to The Short Midwicket Podcasts on Podbean
Keeping it in the family this week (not like that) with Fantasy Ashes stuff from Will's dad and sister (as well as the ever-present Will). Chris Tremlett is (probably) in, as is Steve Smith, Phil Hughes and Mitchell Johnson, so they are discussed, as is the WACA. Literally everything you need in a podcast, Richard.
Go to The Short Midwicket Podcasts on Podbean
Saturday, 6 March 2010
England's Twitter Revolution
With the shock revalationary news that previously Twitter-shy Paul Collingwood has joined Twitter, the whole cricketing world is aghast. Collingwood opposes everything Twitter stands for, with his stoic hours of test defence for England belying his new status as 140 character micro-blogger. Collingwood has also appeared very informative and interesting in interviews, something that Twitter does not often lend itself too, with banality usually being the lifeblood of most tweets. So why would England's ginger hero want to join the likes of Graeme Swann, Jimmy Anderson, Tim Bresnan and The Short Third Man on Twitter?
Probably because Twitter's rather fun. With millions of worldwide users, there is obviously some attraction to seeing what other people are thinking. Especially when those people are celebrities. That's why I joined! I often while away time reading the tweets of various sporting types, and have (hopefully) amused a few of my 120 followers into the bargain. On a long, boring tour of the subcontinent (which the England team are currently on), there are definately advantages to being on Twitter, compared to another game on Pro Evo, or a walk into the Bangladesh countryside. In the evenings, when there isn't much in the way of entertainment, and added to us being in the era of the smart phone where Twitter is always available, players can easily express their thoughts through a new medium. During the Sri Lanka tour of 2007, many of the England players signed up for Facebook (the new thing at the time), and now a few are signing up to Twitter.
During the Ashes last year, the tweets of Anderson and Swann entertained thousands, as regular fans were granted an insight into the English dressing room (and Phil Hughes gave us an insight to the Australian selectors). While both Anderson and Swann did not get the large numbers they expected for their not-very-publicised "Tweet Off" (and I should know... I was there!), there was very good feedback about their tweeting activities. The actions of Tim Bresnan, who signed up only to tell a fan to "get back to his mum's basement" caused slight embarrassment to the ECB, who warned the irresponsible Bresnan off the social networking site. So should the ECB stop the higher profile Swann, Anderson and Collingwood (as well as any potential others) from tweeting? Ultimately, the twitter accounts of the players are their own, and could theoretically be allowed to put up whatever they want. However, PR-wise, they should be warned from certain things, such as abusing fans a la Bresnan, revealing confidential team information (like Phil Hughes or tennis' Andy Roddick), or being a downright moron (Darren Bent).
England's Twitter Revolution may or may not have any impact on the team's performance, but certainly has an impact on the team's relationship with the fans. If handled properly, the social networking site can be a massive PR success for the ECB, who are always trying to attract new fans to the game. And hopefully for me, Swann can attract more players to Twitter.
Probably because Twitter's rather fun. With millions of worldwide users, there is obviously some attraction to seeing what other people are thinking. Especially when those people are celebrities. That's why I joined! I often while away time reading the tweets of various sporting types, and have (hopefully) amused a few of my 120 followers into the bargain. On a long, boring tour of the subcontinent (which the England team are currently on), there are definately advantages to being on Twitter, compared to another game on Pro Evo, or a walk into the Bangladesh countryside. In the evenings, when there isn't much in the way of entertainment, and added to us being in the era of the smart phone where Twitter is always available, players can easily express their thoughts through a new medium. During the Sri Lanka tour of 2007, many of the England players signed up for Facebook (the new thing at the time), and now a few are signing up to Twitter.
During the Ashes last year, the tweets of Anderson and Swann entertained thousands, as regular fans were granted an insight into the English dressing room (and Phil Hughes gave us an insight to the Australian selectors). While both Anderson and Swann did not get the large numbers they expected for their not-very-publicised "Tweet Off" (and I should know... I was there!), there was very good feedback about their tweeting activities. The actions of Tim Bresnan, who signed up only to tell a fan to "get back to his mum's basement" caused slight embarrassment to the ECB, who warned the irresponsible Bresnan off the social networking site. So should the ECB stop the higher profile Swann, Anderson and Collingwood (as well as any potential others) from tweeting? Ultimately, the twitter accounts of the players are their own, and could theoretically be allowed to put up whatever they want. However, PR-wise, they should be warned from certain things, such as abusing fans a la Bresnan, revealing confidential team information (like Phil Hughes or tennis' Andy Roddick), or being a downright moron (Darren Bent).
England's Twitter Revolution may or may not have any impact on the team's performance, but certainly has an impact on the team's relationship with the fans. If handled properly, the social networking site can be a massive PR success for the ECB, who are always trying to attract new fans to the game. And hopefully for me, Swann can attract more players to Twitter.
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