Time up for Ponting?
At 36, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is not getting any younger. Worse still, he will turn 37 in December and with scores 8 and 0 at the atrocious Newlands Test; pressure on Punter is getting too suffocating.
Ever since he lost the Ashes to England earlier this year, critics have been baying for the legendary right-hander’s blood to not just give the captaincy away, but also hang up his boots. The final straw came in the form of the quarterfinal loss to India in the World Cup which was Ponting’s last as Australian skipper. With his form not getting any better, Ponting’s place in the side has come under heavy cloud.
The last 14 innings have fetched just a measly 245 runs from Ponting’s willow and that’s not good enough. What has been even shocking has been the manner in which the Ponting got dismissed in the first Test at Cape Town. Ponting shuffled across and was adjudged leg-before, a sign of a player who is low on confidence.
He looked anxious at the start and his feet failed to move, a contrast to the Ponting of old, who would judge the length of the ball right from the beginning. But he has looked a pale shadow of himself and from frying pan; Ponting’s batting seems to be headed straight into fire.
There are others too in the side who have not contributed significantly. Names such as Phil Hughes, Brad Haddin does crop up but Ponting does belong to a different breed of batters. The world has not seen many pull the cricket ball better than Ponting.
However, the last one year has been barren for Ponting. He did show glimpses of his brilliance in that hundred against India in the World Cup, but with just one international century in the last 55 innings, Ponting, according to many, is fighting a losing cause.
Watching Ponting’s chanceless 196 against England at the Gabba, Brisbane, in 2006-07 Ashes series, it is hard to imagine that he would even have to see this day when ex-Australian cricketers question his very presence in the side. How long he would play will depend on how much he scores in the coming games. But one can surely say that Ponting will just not walk away without a fight. Naysayers, watch out for the famous Aussie fight. All it requires is one big innings and the smiles will be back on Punter’s face. J
