‘The news that Ricky Ponting had done further damage to his broken little finger and would be unavailable for the Sydney New Year’s Test has caused genuine worry among Australian cricket fans’. This is the statement that would have been true of Ponting at any point before 2007. Now, as we enter 2011. His absence from this Test Match has caused relief among most Australian fans.
Ponting has vowed that he will return. I’m not so sure. As I watched him walk off the pitch at the MCG after his turgid 20. I wondered whether this would be the last time he stepped foot on the famous ground. I now find myself wondering whether he will step foot on any Test Match ground in the future.
Ponting is a great player. There is no doubt about that. He can even lay claim to being Australia’s second greatest ever, although I’m sure this would spark a fiery debate. Unfortunately, every great batsman eventually loses his powers (Sachin Tendulkar looks like he’ll go on until he’s 50, but he’s the exception, not the rule). It would appear that Ponting’s powers have finally deserted him. They have been on the wane for the past 4 years but he has still been considered Australia’s undoubted best batsman, a testament to his previous greatness. This series he has been a shadow of his previous self, his 113 runs at 16.14 has been a truly terrible return and that includes a 51* that he scored in the deadest of circumstances at the Gabba, take out that innings and his stats are downright appalling.
Australia do not play another Test Match after the SCG until August which gives the selectors plenty of time to ponder Ponting’s place in the team. During the interim, they have a 7 match one-day series against England and then, the World Cup. It is almost certain that Ponting will captain Australia at the World Cup. He will be desperate to defend his incredible World Cup record (he has never lost a World Cup game as captain).
I severely doubt this will be possible as Australia are not the side they once were. Add to that the location, the subcontinent, where teams like India and Sri Lanka will be very strong and you can see that Australia’s task is not an easy one. It will however be a challenge that Ponting will be dying to take on. If Ponting has a successful World Cup, with bat and in terms of results then the selectors will be much more likely to give him some leeway in the Test arena. Personally, I doubt that Ponting will have a very good World Cup which in my eyes would seal his fate.
It looks very much like Ponting is facing an uphill battle to keep his place in the team. I don't think that he would continue to play under another captain. The only way I see him keeping his spot is if he drops down the order to either No.5 or 6. It would make the batting order look a lot stronger. Seeing Ponting walking out at 6 would not be a great sight for any team, a hell of a lot worse than watching Steve Smith take guard anyway.
The option of dropping Ponting is not as simple for the selectors as you might think. It’s not because his form doesn’t warrant it (it most certainly does) and it’s not that there would be a public out-roar (most Australians want him gone). It is the fact that they would have to replace him as captain. It is not even that Ponting is such a good leader that he could not possibly be replaced. It is just there are an alarming lack of candidates to replace him.
The ‘man in waiting’, Michael Clarke, is the obvious person to replace Ponting. He has been earmarked as his successor for years. It would be a simple decision were it not for Clarke’s terrible recent form and his even more terrible backing from the Australian public.
Two newspapers surveyed the Australian public on whether they backed Clarke as the next long-term Australian captain. In his hometown newspaper survey (Sydney), only 15% backed Clarke. Simon Katich polled more votes even though he is 35 and it is a doubt he will ever play Test cricket again. This is an alarming figure, especially when you consider the voters were from Clarke’s hometown, the place where he should be most adored. In the other survey, 92% of voters did not want Clarke as the next Australia captain. This has to worry the selectors. The public do not feel this way for no reason. They do not like his party-boy lifestyle, his public spat with his celebrity girlfriend, his tattoos or his lucrative commercial contracts. Can Australia name a captain who nobody wants? Well, if it’s not Clarke then who? I certainly cannot offer any reasonable suggestions for a long-term alternative (any suggestions you may have would be much appreciated).
This all leads back to Ponting’s place in the team. He might just manage to stay in the team purely because of a lack of viable captaincy alternatives. I do think that in order for Ponting to stay in the side he must drop down the order, especially if Usman Khawaja plays well in Sydney.
Ponting is entering the toughest phase of his career. What remains to be asked is whether he can do a Tendulkar? My feeling is, unfortunately for Punter. No.
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