Time to change the Aussie captain?
 

Ponting has been found wanting of ideas. First in the match versus Bangladesh and then on several other ocassions.

Today, the field placings were poor giving the english too many easy runs.

After the Ashes, I think its time for a change of leadership. Warne back as captain and a one day come back? He has a good cricket mind. If the Australians do not find it uncomfortable that his personal life is not a great example, then why not?

Or maybe Gilchrist.

I dont know but Ponting is not satsifactory as captain at the moment.

No. Ponting has lead from the front and cant be blamed if the team, in particular the batsman simply dont perform

No, he isn't very flash.

However, I don't think Gilchrist is all that brilliant either - and I see little chance of Warne being offered the captaincy (it's even possible that he wouldn't accept it at this late stage). So, I wouldn't drop him - because I can't imagine who's really equipped right now to replace him, unless the Aussie selectors take a huge risk like South Africa did in promoting Smith and go for Clarke - which I really wouldn't do, as he is still working on establishing himself in the side and he has far too many critics on his back already.

Strong alternatives aren't really presenting themselves, so Ponting will have to stay. It's also very likely that he'll find the going a lot easier against other opposition once this series is finished.

C.mon guys he just got Australia out of jail with definitely the best rearguard action i have ever seen in the last test. Do you guys he would have had the same determination if the wasn't skipper.

Warne would make an excellent captain, except he's 35 years old and has a terrible record off the field. Gilchrist too isn't far from retirement. Ponting is captain because there's no other good option, simple as that.

The problem has not primarily been the batsmen, it has been the bowlers. Any captain can be made innocuous if his attack lets him down, as Stephen Fleming showed last year. And any batting attack will be made to look poor, if they struggle where the opposition consistently make hay because of weak bowling (as is repeatedly the case with the Windies).

Yes I am afraid that is the reality. Warne could have made a good captain and could serve as a stop gap captain for 2 years but it would ruffle a lot of feathers in Australia I think after Warne's off field exploits.

Eh, I disagree. I think the bowling has been pretty good, although obviously the fact that the attack has changed every game and Gillespie has been woeful hasn't helped, Warne has been excellent and McGrath, Lee and Tait have all been good enough. The problem is the batting, because when England have bowled well Australia have gone to pieces and haven't made a single large score in the series despite three of the four wickets being flat. When Australia has bowled well, most of the time England have done okay, maybe lost a wicket or two but come out the other same and still made a score. England have outbowled Australia, but the difference in my mind has been relatively small. Australia's fielders have let down the bowlers consistently, but the bowling hasn't been that bad.

What has been genuinely poor is the batting. England have bowled well, yes, but good batsmen should be able to face good bowling on a true, flat pitch and survive to make runs, and Australia excluding a couple of people haven't been able to do that, while England have, despite the fact that guys like Ponting, Martyn, Gilchrist and Langer are normally more reliable than their English counterparts.

truth is Ponting could really do much more with the crap bowling that England have exploited brilliantly so far. McGrath was good in the first test..Warne has been good all series, Lee sporadically good, the rest not up to standard..whereas Englands bowling has consistanly been at at very high standard...Australias batting has been fatally exposed by the England bowlers...what really could Ponting do????

The field placements havent been satisfactory.

you need to have bowlers who can bowl to whatever the field placings are...Australias bowlers have not done the job

I agree that ponting has been out captained so far this series, but there is only so much the guy can do..he cannot bat for everyone..he cannot field for everyone..he cannot bowl for everyone.

Australia would win for sure if that were the case.

Ponting has the most runs for australia thus far
Ponting has the best average out of all of the bowlers playing in the series
Ponting hasnt dropped a catch this series

Yeah a captain cannot place a field for Tait like he can do for McGrath. And I agree Australian bowlers have not done the job.

My dissatisfaction and disappointment from Ponting has been his extra defensive captaincy. For example, against Bangladesh, he waited for things to happen rather than setting an attacking field till very late. (not taking any thing away from Bangladesh)

Even today, with wickets down, he could have done with a more attacking field. A captain really cant set a field for bad bowling.

England fought hard. But Australia did not show teeth to atleast try to fight while bowling. The pitch was lookind dead, the field placings were not innovative or did not force batsmen to do some thing different.

The bowlers were not the most talented but I expected more from the captaincy - some sparks of brilliance. Maybe I expect too much. :sleep:

yeah..but still remember he has done little with the bat apart from the 150, and Vaughan has completely out classsed him as a captain :D ...as many people thought he would to be honest

i wonder how long it will be before certain people will say "a monkey could captain" this current english team. 8-)