The Outsider Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 LOL @ people wishing Ponting to hit form after spending years praying for his failure when he was a contender to cross Tendulkar.
rahulrulezz Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 LOL @ people wishing Ponting to hit form after spending years praying for his failure when he was a contender to cross Tendulkar. funniest bit was the support Ponting used to get from Pakistani fans:haha:.. as some say it, he was their 'adopted son'... now its Kallis:giggle:
Cricket Tragic Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 funniest bit was the support Ponting used to get from Pakistani fans:haha:.. as some say it' date=' he was their 'adopted son'... now its Kallis:giggle:[/quote'] Cook is their big hope now. :cantstop:
VRV Singh Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 LOL @ people wishing Ponting to hit form after spending years praying for his failure when he was a contender to cross Tendulkar. I think you are assuming everyone was/is emotionally invested in these records. Praying :haha:. Ponting is one of my favourite batsmen to watch and as such I always want him to be batting well.
Bradman99 Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 More... Malcolm Conn says it's time former Australian captain Ricky Ponting hung up his bat Malcolm Conn The Daily Telegraph November 12, 2011 Time to go: Malcolm Conn says it's time for old stagers such as Ricky Ponting to be replaced by the new breed. IT'S time. Ricky Ponting's mortality has caught up with him. Some former teammates of Australia's best batsman after Bradman were right to believe that when he retired from the captaincy earlier this year Ponting should have walked away altogether. His downward spiral has become a freefall but Ponting is not tumbling alone among those involved in Australia's second-innings debacle of 47 during the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town. If Simon Katich was sacked to rebuild for successive Ashes campaigns in 18 months then the new selection panel under chairman John Inverarity has much work to do. It will be a tough assignment for captain and new selector Michael Clarke to make some ruthless decisions for the sake of Australia's future. If there's going to be continuing pain let's have it with young players on the way up, not fading players on the way down. Hanging onto an aging side can quickly become catastrophic, as India found in England earlier this year when they were flogged 4-0. There will be few more comfortable assignments than meeting New Zealand in Brisbane and Hobart next month. And while a four-Test series against India looks tough on paper its team of fading greats were unable to win a series in Australia when they were in their prime. Then there is a tour against the modest West Indies, all good opportunities to give the next generation confidence and experience. Shane Watson remains Australia's most valuable player but the better he bowls, the worse he bats. He should replace Ponting at number four. Over the past year Ponting, the most prolific batsman this country has ever seen, is carrying a Test average of 18.8. He has just one century in his past 41 Tests innings. Australia's most senior batsman is joined by its most senior current bowler, Mitchell Johnson, on the slippery slope which has claimed a number of fast bowlers when they turned 30. With almost 200 Test wickets Johnson should be leading Australia's attack but instead he remains its most inconsistent bowler. Having discarded Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus in quick succession there appears no reason to treat Johnson any differently unless he did something imposing overnight. Especially with talents like Pat Cummins, 18, and James Pattinson, 21, making a rapid appearance on the horizon. Australia's greatest wicket-keepers have found their batting always fades before their keeping. Rod Marsh, Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist were all the most successful gloveman in the world at one stage and all finished well below their career high batting averages. Marsh's fell from 38 to 27, Healy's from 30 to 27 and Gilchrist's from 62 to 48. Now aged 34, Haddin is going the same way. It has fallen from 43 to 36 after the dreadful charge and slash duck he made in Australia's woeful second innings. Regular reserve keeper Tim Paine may be injured but Victoria's Matt Wade, 24, is also an impressive wicket-keeper batsman who played for Australia's Twenty20 side in South Africa last month. One of the next generation given plenty of time to establish himself is Phil Hughes, who must surely have run out of time for now. Usman Khawaja is an outstanding back-foot player who should be given the same chance at the top of the order as Hughes. David Warner is an imposing talent who has matured on and off the field over the past year to the point where he is averaging 60 in first-class cricket. The new selectors should strike while his form is hot. Without the Ashes there is nothing to lose. I find it hard to disagree with anything that has been written here to be honest, it's the harsh truth that needs to be told. Those saying Warner is not worthy, surely he is more worthy than Hughes.
VRV Singh Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 Warner replaces Marsh for the 2nd Test. :woot: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/540313.html
Bradman99 Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 Awesome, I'm looking forward to seeing him play. I expect Watson to move down to number 4.
saneindian Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 Warner is tests? That sounds desperate. He wasn't even getting picked for his state side for first class cricket till last season! 2-3 goopd scores against Zimbabwe A and he gets a test spot!
Bradman99 Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 Warner is tests? That sounds desperate. He wasn't even getting picked for his state side for first class cricket till last season! 2-3 goopd scores against Zimbabwe A and he gets a test spot! Yeah well the fact is we are pretty desperate right now. We just got bundled out for 47 and Warner has been in red hot form for NSW in the Shield all year, so it wasn't just because of his scores against Zimbabwe. We may as well give him a go, we have nothing to lose. Also, just because he is an agressive batsman, does not mean he doesn't have another side to him. I think he will surprise a few and carve out a career in test cricket, he wil be similar to Andrew Symonds. His FC average is 54 after 9 matches, thats not bad.
VRV Singh Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 Awesome' date=' I'm looking forward to seeing him play. I expect Watson to move down to number 4.[/quote'] How about Khawaja? I would have thought he is the natural middle order replacement.
Bradman99 Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 How about Khawaja? I would have thought he is the natural middle order replacement. True, but they called in Warner so I was just speculating off that. If they were to call up Khawaja as well then I'd say Hughes would be dropped and Warner/Watson would open with Khawaja in at 3 or 4. I think that would represent a stronger batting line up.
VRV Singh Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 True' date=' but they called in Warner so I was just speculating off that. If they were to call up Khawaja as well then I'd say Hughes would be dropped and Warner/Watson would open with Khawaja in at 3 or 4. I think that would represent a stronger batting line up.[/quote'] Khawaja was already in the touring party, I think they will go with him for Marsh. They seem keen to keep faith with Hughes long-term.
Bradman99 Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 Khawaja was already in the touring party' date=' I think they will go with him for Marsh. They seem keen to keep faith with Hughes long-term.[/quote'] Oh I never knew that, you're probably right then. In that case it seems pointless calling Warner up, he may as well stay with NSW and continue his form.
Cricket Tragic Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 Picking Warner isn't a massive shock tbh. People have been talking about it for a while now.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now