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Who Is The Better Captain? Smith or Ponting?

Who Is The Better Captain?


  • Total voters
    36

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
Had a discussion with my cousin about this and we thought Smith is better. He thought slightly, I thought a bit more than slightly but both certainly.

Smith had the better batting average and centuries as captain when my brother checked last which is quite impressive as well.

What's your opinion?
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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I'd probably say Smith btw, though I don't think either of them are particularly incredible. I just think Smith has had a bit less to work with.
 

Burgey

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Right now he's got more to work with.

Close imo. If Ponting can transform this side back towards number one aft erh emass retirements, he'll have his captaincy legacy. If it doesn't happen, there will always be question marks. Tbf there probably always will be question marks anyway.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
They're probably about even-stevens but over the years Smith has been getting better as captain.

Smith does have a better bowling attack than Austrlalia at the moment but Ricky did captain with McGrath and Warne in the side as well a few years back.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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Smith does have a better bowling attack than Austrlalia at the moment
Steyn is the only South African bowler who I think Australia would envy. A lot of good pace bowling talent in Australia right now, and certainly a lot more depth than South Africa. Smith has less at his disposal than Ponting in my mind.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Steyn is the only South African bowler who I think Australia would envy. A lot of good pace bowling talent in Australia right now, and certainly a lot more depth than South Africa. Smith has less at his disposal than Ponting in my mind.
Ryan Harris and Doug Bollinger have been made to look better than they are by 2 average teams in West Indies and Pakistan. McKay is also probably behind those 2.

Harris debuted against us last year and got 1-54 in 10 overs and didn't get picked again. Didn't look like a bowler to be scared of.

Also Bollonger debuted against us and got 2-100 or even more in the match. Didn't bother our batsman too much.

The same can be said that we wouldn't really want any of Austrlalias bowlers.

But what I won't argue with is that they have 6 or 7 bowlers in the mix while we have 4 or 5 of very good to excellent standard.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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Ryan Harris and Doug Bollinger have been made to look better than they are by 2 average teams in West Indies and Pakistan. McKay is also probably behind those 2.

Harris debuted against us last year and got 1-54 in 10 overs and didn't get picked again. Didn't look like a bowler to be scared of.

Also Bollonger debuted against us and got 2-100 or even more in the match. Didn't bother our batsman too much.

The same can be said that we wouldn't really want any of Austrlalias bowlers.

But what I won't argue with is that they have 6 or 7 bowlers in the mix while we have 4 or 5 of very good to excellent standard.
You're aware that players do improve over time right? Just throwing it out there...
 

SeamUp

International Coach
You're aware that players do improve over time right? Just throwing it out there...
Sure but they were not exactly spring chickens in debuting at 27 and 29. So they have a bit of experience under their belt to deal with pressure. Sure they can struggle early on in their debuts or earlier games but they didn't look as good as what they're being made to be when they were up against a class batting line-up.

I think we have an attack that can last a long time.

STEYN (26)

M.MORKEL (25)

PARNELL (20)

All still very young and a few bowlers waiting in the wings.
 
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Shri

Mr. Glass
Sure but they were not exactly spring chickens in debuting at 27 and 29. So they have a bit of experience under their belt to deal with pressure. Sure they can struggle early on in their debuts or earlier games but they didn't look as good as what they're being made to be when they were up against a class batting line-up.

I think we have an attack that can last a long time.

STEYN (26)

M.MORKEL (25)

PARNELL (20)

All still very young and a few bowlers waiting in the wings.
Like Cornellius de Villiers and company? Indeed.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Like Cornellius de Villiers and company? Indeed.
He is in the mix but has fallen behind Theron and De Wet.

Love the name in full ey Metallics...easier to call him CJ.

Ntini also doesn't believe his career at test level has finished. Gone back to domestic cricket and putting in the hard yards. Cannot write him off I guess because he is one of the fittest and hard-working players around.

Theres a highly rated bowler in the u19 set-up as well.
 
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BoyBrumby

Englishman
Fat Gray, grudgingly. Still think he's something of a head of the dick variety, but tactically I'd suggest he has the edge. Handled his bowlers well in the two tests that SA nearly won on our recent tour. With all the talk of our great escapes it's easy to forget that in both games we were looking safe as houses going into tea. Rather blotted his copybook by bowling Ntini in the last over of the first test tho; looked then & still looks now like a sentimental decision. Nice in its way, but I prefer my captains to be a little more hard-headed.

Both lead from the front with the bat, which is to their credits, but suspect ulitmately both are better batsmen than skippers.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Fat Gray, grudgingly. Still think he's something of a head of the dick variety, but tactically I'd suggest he has the edge. Handled his bowlers well in the two tests that SA nearly won on our recent tour. With all the talk of our great escapes it's easy to forget that in both games we were looking safe as houses going into tea. Rather blotted his copybook by bowling Ntini in the last over of the first test tho; looked then & still looks now like a sentimental decision. Nice in its way, but I prefer my captains to be a little more hard-headed.

Both lead from the front with the bat, which is to their credits, but suspect ulitmately both are better batsmen than skippers.
Sounds right on all counts to me. Given that Ponting's decision making went a long way to handing us 2 Ashes series (inserting us at Edgbaston in 2005 & over-bowling North at the death in Cardiff last year instead of telling his quicks to knock MSP's bloody head off) I couldn't really rate him overmuch as a skipper.
 

Sir Alex

Banned
Ponting had a reasonable time being 'groomed' into captaincy role under Waugh and had to take mantle at only 29 or something. Even then he had some of the world's best resources at his disposal, everything was in place for him to succeed, and he did, till the greats walked into the sunset. This was his greatest opportunity to mark his name as a cricketer maker, but unfortunately he was found to be less than adequate for the task. Australia even after 3 years are struggling to claw back to the top echelon, and the last two series victories prove nothing as the opposition was so dire.

Smith on the other hand, was thrust into captaincy at an incredibly young age of 22, had almost an initiation period as Ponting's average innings duration in India, and had to take charge of a team that had lost Donald and boasted of a past prime Pollock. He indeed fumbled initially but alongwith the years has matured into a captain who commands respect from his mates. He has 'developed' guys like Steyn, Morkel, AB and his faith in less heralded guys like Harris has paid off as well. I would hence not hesitate a breath to place Smith ahead of Ponting.

As to who was the better cricketer, Ponting by a mile.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Sounds right on all counts to me. Given that Ponting's decision making went a long way to handing us 2 Ashes series (inserting us at Edgbaston in 2005 & over-bowling North at the death in Cardiff last year instead of telling his quicks to knock MSP's bloody head off) I couldn't really rate him overmuch as a skipper.
Latter decision surely reminiscent of Gooch's bowling Tufnell and Hemmings on and on on the last afternoon at the SCG in 1990/91 when he should've brought back Malcolm to knock over Rackemann, Alderman and Reid.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Right now he's got more to work with.

Close imo. If Ponting can transform this side back towards number one aft erh emass retirements, he'll have his captaincy legacy. If it doesn't happen, there will always be question marks. Tbf there probably always will be question marks anyway.
There's only so much a captain can do - Ponting cannot transform the side, well, anywhere really - that depends on the quality of player available. If the quality is there, they'll go back towards it; if it's not, they won't. And as I've said before, I don't believe there's any side conclusively better than Australia out there presently.

As for who's the better captain of Smith and Ponting, I'd say Smith and would've done for years. A decent-in-all-respects captain vs one who's decent in some respects and poor in others.

As for who's got the better resources presently, Australia trump South Africa fairly well IMO. South Africa's best, including Smith himself and of course Steyn, are better than anything Australia have, but in terms of holes in the side Australia have far fewer.
 

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