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I feel sorry for Ricky Ponting

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
The infuriating thing about him is he can bowl so well (witness that over on the 3rd Day of the last test when he got Langer) - but then can be so disappointing in the same spell.
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
FaaipDeOiad said:
Actually, I don't think that last bit is true, but anyway that wasn't my point. He's not overrated because he's actually poor, he's overrated because people talk about him as being England's best bowler and even the best bowler in the world, when he seems to really struggle for consistency and penetration on wickets which aren't suited to his style of bowling. I've been trying to work out why so many England fans rate him so highly, when aside from a purple patch last year he's had a relatively unsuccessful test career to date. Was it simply the wickets and the poor quality of the opposition that led him to be so dominant in the West Indies last year, or is he doing something differently in the last few series?
Harmison only ever gets used in conjunction with the phrase 'Best bowler in the world' when people keep on chanting the same tired old mantra "Why do people think that Harmison is the best in the world?"

He's rated highly and is an integral member of the side because he both offers a contrast to and compliments the other bowlers. Personally I don't care whether he's England's most successful or fourth most successful seamer - just as long as he keeps getting in the faces of batsmen and making it uncomfortable, that's OK by me.
 

Gloucefan

U19 Vice-Captain
Sanz said:
Nope, If Kasper had got 2 more runs and if England had got 1 more wicket, Australia would have still retained the ashes. ;)
He didn't get those runs though did he, you could do this all day. If it hadn't rained at Old Trafford Australia would have also lost that match just like they deserved to. It really doesn't matter though, Australia were outplayed and deserved to go home empty handed.
 

Barney Rubble

International Coach
luckyeddie said:
Harmison only ever gets used in conjunction with the phrase 'Best bowler in the world' when people keep on chanting the same tired old mantra "Why do people think that Harmison is the best in the world?"

He's rated highly and is an integral member of the side because he both offers a contrast to and compliments the other bowlers. Personally I don't care whether he's England's most successful or fourth most successful seamer - just as long as he keeps getting in the faces of batsmen and making it uncomfortable, that's OK by me.
Amen. He's a key part of the world's most dangerous fast-bowling quartet at the moment, as are all the others. He has a job to do, and he does it well - it's just that it isn't always to run through batting lineups left, right and centre.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Agree with the Harmi thoughts; even if he didn't take bags this summer, he looked dangerous most of the time and I'm sure some of his bowling resulted in wickets at the other end. And let's not forget his excellent slower-ball to Michael Clarke on day 4 of the second Test. The four balls before that were super-quick lifters and that ultra-slow ball was an excellent sucker-punch. Loved it. Then again, I'm a fan of the guy. :D
 

Magrat Garlick

Global Moderator
FaaipDeOiad said:
Actually, I don't think that last bit is true, but anyway that wasn't my point. He's not overrated because he's actually poor, he's overrated because people talk about him as being England's best bowler and even the best bowler in the world, when he seems to really struggle for consistency and penetration on wickets which aren't suited to his style of bowling. I've been trying to work out why so many England fans rate him so highly, when aside from a purple patch last year he's had a relatively unsuccessful test career to date. Was it simply the wickets and the poor quality of the opposition that led him to be so dominant in the West Indies last year, or is he doing something differently in the last few series?
a) Pace - people like to see the 90+ up on the TV screen, even though it doesn't necessarily mean anything
b) More relevant to this forum, I think: due to the 17-ball over (or something) he bowled while in Australia, everyone wrote him off as "yet another failure of England's selectors" (similar to A McGrath, Irani, Shah, Dawson, Sidebottom) - just like most of the English wrote off Tait because of that spell at Durham. But instead, he's gone from laughing-stock to international-class bowler, and the story is just so good that we want the fairytale to continue. :)
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
rick will be fine once Australia get back to the usual winning ways between now & the next Ashes series things will be good.
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
aussie said:
rick will be fine once Australia get back to the usual winning ways between now & the next Ashes series things will be good.
Personally, I think it's time for the Australian selectors to bite the bullet and give the captaincy to Warne. I suspect it will never happen, unfortunately, but the guy is the best international captain the world has never seen.
 

Barney Rubble

International Coach
luckyeddie said:
the guy is the best international captain the world has never seen.
Dead right (again) - it was thanks to Warne's cricket brain, as well as his bowling, that Australia almost pulled off a win at Trent Bridge. Ponting was a puppet then - even more so than usual, I mean. :p
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Quite honestly, if what some people here have said is true, why should Ponting be captain when all he is doing is receiving ideas from Lehmann (in the past) and Warne now? They might as well make Warne captain and get to him to agree to a full time return to ODIs.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
FaaipDeOiad said:
Was it simply the wickets and the poor quality of the opposition that led him to be so dominant in the West Indies last year, or is he doing something differently in the last few series?
for one thing, his performance in the ODIs this summer got people to overrate him further. he did his job this series though, he was accurate and hit the aussies on the body. he just needed to pitch the ball up a lot more. ATM hes more like makhaya ntini than curtly ambrose.
 

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