Where would you bat Ponting ?

[Spark]

I'm only willing to drop Ponting if I'm sure that Clarke is well and truly ready. This test may be an indicator, but for now - no.

[howardj]

The only problem I have with Pup is the time he invests in other guys (read this month's edition of Inside Edge/Cricket) and in the team in general.

Tactically - fine.

Batsman - fine.

[Black_Warrior]

Well I posted it to point out that you can't generalise like that really. It's a bit rich on your part to now play a race card against me when I think you (likely inadvertently) did the same to one country's group of cricketers too. I'd have though it was self evident why I said it.
Inzamam
Cronje
Ranatunga
Gatting
Broad
Viv Richards
Michael Holding
Colin Croft
Miandad
Gavaskar
Kumble


Are among the non-Australian players I can think of off the top of my head who have disrespected umpires. Without giving it more than two minutes' thought.

I did not imply that only Australian players disrespect umpires. I said more Australian players disrespect umpires than the rest. Now I was not trying to make a statement about race either. I am merely trying to highlight that this problem is bigger in Australia than the rest of the world just like I believe that the problem of match fixing is bigger in Pakistan than the rest of the world. And I am certainly not the first and only one who has noticed this.

This is what Nasser Hussain had to say "There are cultural differences too. I’m not sure all Australians, generally speaking, are brought up in grade cricket to respect umpires the way hopefully young players still are in England.
He talks about this in more detail here

Not just Ponting, the way Siddle, who is barely 2 years old in international cricket had a go at the umpire tells you a lot about this problem I am talking about. I do not know how he got off so lightly.

Now my objective was not to put down Australian cricket..but to highlight what I think is a serious problem in its culture and the first step towards rectifying that is to acknowledge it as a serious problem.

It is general human nature to get defensive when a problem is identified in our own backyard, but if there is one thing I've learnt from the problems in Pakistan cricket is that turning a blind eye does not make the problem go away.

[Son Of Coco]

Where would I bat Ponting?

Probably in the balls first, and then over the back of the head.