Ricky Ponting faces flak for captaincy

The Australian team’s batting collapse against some superb bowling by the Englishmen James Anderson and Graham Onions on Friday has cast a shadow on skipper Ricky Ponting’s captaincy and there is talk on the media circles that the Tasmanian could be heading to become just the second Australian captain to lose two Ashes series in England.The Aussies lost seven wickets before lunch on Friday in what was considered a shocking session for any team in Edgbaston in many years. After dismissing the Aussies for a modest 263, England were 116 for two.

On passing Border’s mark, Ponting showed no joy, The Australian has reported. “It is an extraordinary feat. Allan Border was 38 and had played 156 Tests when he retired with a then world record 11,174 and an average of 50. Ponting, 34, has passed it in 134 Tests with an average of 56,” the newspaper said.

It went on to write, “Ricky Ponting stands proudly amongst the very finest players the game has produced but there is one telling record he is desperate to avoid. Unless his team can show more than it has managed in the past one-and-a-half Tests, Ponting is in danger of becoming just the second captain of Australia to be in charge of two Ashes series defeats in England. The only other is Australia’s first touring captain, Billy Murdoch, well over a century ago.”

If this was not enough, the Daily Telegraph stated that Australia’s bid to catch up with England in the Ashes 2009 was in danger.

“In scenes reminiscent of how Simon Jones got the old ball to swing around corners in 2005, Onions and Anderson wobbled the ball everywhere and both took their best figures against Australia,” the paper reported. Former Australian star Greg Matthews said Australia’s batting display had been disappointing. “They lost 7/77 in the first session. The last two pairs put on 60 runs when the ball was still swinging, so what’s going on there?” Matthews opined on SBS TV.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Peter Roebuck wrote, “The problem is simple. Whatever Ponting does, he will remain the second-best number three Australia has produced. Of course, it is absurd to put him or anyone else alongside Don Bradman, but that has been his fate. As a result, he tends to be denied some of the acclaim he deserves.”

The issue with Ponting clearly is that he crossed Border’s mark in a match which the Australians aren’t looking to win and that could severely hamper his future captaincy prospects and heads will roll and many will want Michael Clarke aka Pup to take over from here on………