He’s the guy we loved to hate. What on earth are we going to do now that Ricky Ponting has relinquished the Australian captaincy? Aussie selectors usually toss away former captains like a sweaty jockstrap, so Punter’s international career could be over. Michael Clarke’s Home & Away good looks may irk England fans somewhat, but his face will never be as irritating as Ponting’s contorted mooey. A new pantomime villain will be required. Shane Watson, anyone?
However, much as we’ve loathed Ricky, and portrayed any incident in which he showed dissent as proof of his inherent twatness, deep down we’ve always admired him wholeheartedly. He was a fantastic batsman, a great fighter, and an icon of the modern game. We disliked him because he was bloody good – and, with the exception of the recent Ashes series, he scored bucket-loads against us.
But we shouldn’t confuse Punter the player with Punter the captain. Since he announced his decision to stand down as skipper this morning, we’ve heard a whole host of supposed experts wax lyrical about his career, and – even though all evidence points to the contrary – gush about his captaincy skills.
Nick Knight was particularly guilty of this before Sky’s coverage of the Sri Lanka versus New Zealand quarter-final today. English TV’s answer to Kenny Sutcliffe (the male model from Mudgee) claimed that Ponting was ‘a fantastic batsman and a great captain’. Oh no he wasn’t Nick. Ponting was a miserable captain – as most Australian cricket fans will tell you.
When Punter announced his decision to step down this morning, he complained that the Aussie press usually characterise him as the ‘captain that lost three Ashes series’ as opposed to the captain that won two World Cups. He’s got a point. However, the fact that Ponting has lost three test series against England, all of which have come in the last five years, indicates what a poor captain he was.
The Australian test team has declined dramatically in recent years. When the team started to decline, so did Ponting’s record as captain. Good captains have the ability to get that something extra from their troops – but Punter has been unable to resuscitate Australia’s flagging fortunes. His bowling changes and field placings showed a distinct lack of imagination during the Ashes. Even his input into selection was disastrous. Who can forget Xavier Doherty?
When a team’s bowlers are struggling, it’s a captain’s job to think outside the box and concoct wickets in different ways – by setting the batsmen up or getting into their heads. Ponting was unable to do this. Neither was he able to lift his troops when the going got tough. He could have learned a great deal from the likes of Stephen Fleming, who never had a potent attack to play with.
During the early years of his captaincy, Ponting had brilliant bowlers at his disposal. All that was required was captaincy by numbers. Need a wicket? Toss the ball to McGrath. Not moving around much off the seam? Give the cherry to Warney … talking of which, the legendary leg spinner would surely have been a better captain.
The irony is that Warne was denied the opportunity to captain Australia in tests because of his run-ins with authority. Yet as the quality of Australia’s attack diminished, and results went belly-up, the ACB’s chosen man also became embroiled in controversies. Who can forget Ponting’s altercation with the umpires at Melbourne as the Ashes slipped through his fingers yet again?
Ricky Ponting was a great cricketer and he should be remembered as such. However, his legacy would have been even greater had the ACB chosen the right man for the job, rather than doing the unimaginative thing – that is, simply making the best batsman captain. Not that you’ll hear Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss complaining.
James Morgan
Punter will be missed. I for one hope he’ll make it over here in 2013 for The Ashes. I think he’ll get a good reception. He’s an honest fella, always gives it 110% – just has his odd aboration of senses as in Trent Bridge 2005. Refreshing that he says it as it is, rather than be too PR savvy.
Good luck Punter. It’ll be interesting to see if it is Clarke how well he’ll be received.
I have to confess to having mixed feelings about this news. With Punter in charge I have always felt that we stood a stance, especially since Warne and his cohort called it a day. With him out of the picture Australia might actually get better which is not good news.
As a die hard England fan I’m always happy to hear about anything that causes the Aussies some hardship, let’s face it, they have been laughing at our inept management for years!
This however is likely to be a good move on their part. It’s good that he has been allowed control over his decision. He says that he hasn’t felt a tap on the shoulder about this but I imagine there has been some heavy breathing on the back of his neck.
To give him his due, the reason he got on my nerves so much is that he has been so damn good for so long! Anyone with that many runs to his name is destined to be remembered for many years. I suppose you can’t ask for much more from a cricket career.
Well, Clarke’s got the job – he’s the been the heir apparent for six years, being the star batsman in the making – but we shouldn’t forget that he’s been hanging on to his place by his fingernails. If Australia hadn’t been so shit in general he would have been dropped during the Ashes, but they just didn’t have enough players to replace all of the out of form batsmen.
I think Clarke’s got a very weak character, too. He’s going to be much more of a Kim Hughes than an Allan Border. Can’t wait to see him blubbing at the Oval when they lose the next series….
(Everyone in Australia hates him, too. The press’ll be all over him first time he looks vulnerable)
My instinct is that Australia will have to get worse before they get better. A parallel is when a political party lose an election by a landslide. Their new leader has such a tough task that their fortunes decline further in the face of an opposition who hold all the aces. It’s usually the next leader who turns things around. Michael Clarke is therefore William Hague!
Clarke also seems to lack the grit and tenacity which Aus need now to rehabilitate – it took Allan Border years to do this, and he was cut of a very different cloth.
I have an image in my head now of Michael Clarke Drinking real ale whilst wearing a baseball cap. That has truely brightened my day!