Ricky Ponting has gone from being captain of a world champion side to the flailing skipper of a sinking ship. But some of his tactics have left people wondering – was Ponting only as good when he had a champion side. Others like Michael Clarke are at wit’s end trying to figure out what Ponting is up to.
Michael Clarke found it hard to explain Ponting’s tactics not to use Andrew Symonds until too late in the South African innings and why Simon Katich was not employed at all. Ponting did not use Symonds until the 125th over, raising speculation why Symonds was not asked to do the job sooner when he was considered fit and able.
Katich had apparently had a sore shoulder but it would be unlikely he would have turned down the captain had he been asked to do a job for the team when Brett Lee was injured and off the field.
Ponting has already run into trouble on that front in the past with Lee and Ponting openly arguing during the Test series in India and Ponting being accused of mismanaging his bowlers to save himself the wrath of the match referee for slow over rate in the fourth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Looks like Ponting has a lot of explaining to do…but wonder if scratching his head will do him any good.
Lots More of Ponting on Crickblog:
Poor Ponting-Needs All The Support He Can Get
Dada’s zero, Post Sehwag Collapse and Ponting’s Fears
Nagpur Test: How Victory Was Sought and Lost
Another Book, Another Controversy When Pup Became a Cat With Nine Lives…
The Many Shades of the Australian Skipper: Ponting in Pictures!
Pitch Forked: Pitch Complaints Trounced
Border Gavaskar Trophy 2: Where Australia Lost It
Ponting Regrets Coming to India; Warns CA and SA
Ponting Plays Down Watson-Symond Dilemma; Coach Disagrees
