The Clarke Captaincy

[shankycricket]

People who are writing off Ponting,just look at Tendulkar guys.
Form is temporary,class is permanent.Punter is still a great player IMO.
He has at least another 3 yrs left in him.He looked in exellent touch in the ODIs btw.

[shankycricket]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/c ... 31818.html

[Dimi]

Not neccesarily. The form of Phil Hughes has been a worry, probably since his second ever Test when he scored a century in each innings. What's he done since? Shaun Marsh opens for the Warriors, and had probably his best domestic season last year. Twatto seems to insist on wanting to continue opening. And Khawaja opened in a tour match recently and scored a century. Mike Hussey, too, could easily open, as he did earlier in his career. Now that Michael Clarke is in command, just maybe he will want to see some changes at the top of the order.

I thought the opening slots were divvied up between Davis, Robinson and the occasional Dutchman Swart with Marsh batting at 3? I do think though that in the Aussie team he'll be best opening in the long term with... Maddinson. Twatto should move down to 5 or 6 once Muss retires.

[ddb]

People who are writing off Ponting,just look at Tendulkar guys.
Form is temporary,class is permanent.Punter is still a great player IMO.
He has at least another 3 yrs left in him.He looked in exellent touch in the ODIs btw.

How many players have done what Tendulkar did?

Both have a year or two max.

[PardonWonTheCup]

People who are writing off Ponting,just look at Tendulkar guys.
Form is temporary,class is permanent.Punter is still a great player IMO.
He has at least another 3 yrs left in him.He looked in exellent touch in the ODIs btw.

How many players have done what Tendulkar did?

Both have a year or two max.

In Punter's last 3 years, he has averaged 38.5. That's over 34 matches. That's a long time to be not doing particularly well and batting at 3.

Go back 4 years which gives him 43 matches and his average is still only 40.57.

All this class is permanent stuff doesn't mean a lot when you look at the bald stats. He doesn't really score tons very often anymore and against proper quick bowling he'll get himself out sooner rather than later top-edging the pull shot as he can't control the instincts there. Second innings last test was a bloody text book example and the bowler wasn't even quick.

Punter is ok at ODI, he has never had a poor run there, but his test career is a different story and it is one of the reasons why the Aussies collapse so much. Once the openers are gone, the dominos start tumbling.

If Punter is still not pulling his weight by the end of the Indian series (I'd prefer the end of the SA series, but I'm not that much of an optimist) and making no noises about retirement apart from saying that 'he can't see the end', I hope there is enough ruthlessness around to stick the knife in as the Argus report may as well not have happened if they are going to let him call time himself.

I'd like Clarke himself to do it so we can hear Punter say 'Et tu, Brutus?' or at least, 'Jeez, Pup, deadset, I thought we were mates.'

[OffStumpYorker]

I didn't realise Marsh opened for his state, so he could be an alternate to Hughes, who frankly has done bugger all since he was found out against short fast bowling.

still argue that Ponting is counting the time, and really only stuck around after relinquishing the captaincy as he didn't see anyone challenging, now marsh has stepped up, Punter must be feeling the noose, tightening around his neck, what may save him is the lack of form of Hughes and Khawaja, though Hughes is probably closer to the chopping block than Khawaja.

Its going to be interesting to see how the selectors handle the situation, for the third test, do they tell punter to stay in aus with his family if for the third test, or do they drop hughes and put marsh in at the top, with punter back in at first drop.

[shankycricket]

ddb
I am not for even one second suggesting that Punter is as good as Sachin.But he is still a great player and he has shown get great signs all tour without really pushing on.I just get the feeling that a big score is somewhere round the corner sooner rather than later.And as an England fan,I would not like to see a hungry for runs Punter in the Aussie team come the next Ashes.So I still rate him.Still a great player IMO.

Average of 41 is not terrible by any stretch of imagination.The fact that we feel it is poor just shows goes to show the high standards that he has set for himself.He isnt living upto those high standards but he is not doing poor by normal standards and as I said I have a feeling he is about to enter a purple patch maybe against India later this year

[Stroller95]

Smarsh is not a regular opener for WA. He has been batting at 3 and 4.

I don't like to say it, but I reckon Khawaja is going to get out cheaply trying to push the runrate along this afternoon, and he will be replaced by Ponting.

Still, nice to have a couple of proper test prospects looking for a place. The last time this sort of thing happened, I think, was when Marcus North had his hat in the ring as as all-rounder.

[PardonWonTheCup]

Smarsh is not a regular opener for WA. He has been batting at 3 and 4.

I don't like to say it, but I reckon Khawaja is going to get out cheaply trying to push the runrate along this afternoon, and he will be replaced by Ponting.

Still, nice to have a couple of proper test prospects looking for a place. The last time this sort of thing happened, I think, was when Marcus North had his hat in the ring as as all-rounder.

Ugh, I'm trying to take comfort in the perverse fact that North could score tons ok, he just wasn't any use inbetween times as I keep comparing him and Marsh and hoping that this isn't another false start.

[meninblue]

People who are writing off Ponting,just look at Tendulkar guys.
.

Sachin was to be dropped as some posters on CMS posted here years before. I was shocked when i read those posts. So posts suggesting Ponting, Warne, Lara to be dropped are now/were bearable putting that into context.

The opponent cricketers are professionals as well and they will sometimes make your decisions look silly. As far as blunders or captaincy mistakes i have seen Clarke do only two of them.

[shankycricket]

People who are writing off Ponting,just look at Tendulkar guys.
.

Sachin was to be dropped as some posters on CMS posted here years before. I was shocked when i read those posts. So posts suggesting Ponting, Warne, Lara to be dropped are now/were bearable putting that into context.

The opponent cricketers are professionals as well and they will sometimes make your decisions look silly. As far as blunders or captaincy mistakes i have seen Clarke do only two of them.

Thats exactly what I am saying Adi.

[shankycricket]

Another thing

People say Ponting's average of 41 in the last 4 years(his leanest patch) is equivalent to Strauss' career average who is rightfully regarded as a very good batsman.So why is Ponting's record poor in the last 4 years?

[PardonWonTheCup]

ddb
I am not for even one second suggesting that Punter is as good as Sachin.But he is still a great player and he has shown get great signs all tour without really pushing on.I just get the feeling that a big score is somewhere round the corner sooner rather than later.And as an England fan,I would not like to see a hungry for runs Punter in the Aussie team come the next Ashes.So I still rate him.Still a great player IMO.

Average of 41 is not terrible by any stretch of imagination.The fact that we feel it is poor just shows goes to show the high standards that he has set for himself.He isnt living upto those high standards but he is not doing poor by normal standards and as I said I have a feeling he is about to enter a purple patch maybe against India later this year

Over the last 2 years which is over 17 matches he's averaged 35. It's a long slow downward slope which he doesn't appear to be able to halt.

We'll have to see if this vaunted Renaissance takes place. He's 37 in December so he's going to have to get a move on.

[PardonWonTheCup]

Another thing

People say Ponting's average of 41 in the last 4 years(his leanest patch) is equivalent to Strauss' career average who is rightfully regarded as a very good batsman.So why is Ponting's record poor in the last 4 years?

I've posted another, another thing below. That 41 is including the furthest away year which was his best year out of the four. Since then, it's been pretty much down hill.

[Stroller95]

Marsh would have been selected ahead of both North and Hughes if he had not had those 2 hamstring tears. He was headed straight to the test team before the injury, I reckon.