New Australian captain?

[irottev]

theres no 'fire' in thier belly and there seems to be no agression any more....

That is jolly rubbish. You diddn't see Brett Lee after he bowled Flintoff and you diddn't see him bowl at 96 m/h, you diddn't see Pontings frustration after the runout. There is pleanty of aggression and pleanty of fire.

I can't believe how many people here think Ponting should lose captaincy. It isn't easy to just replace a captain. Ponting has performed well even with captaincy, most players seem to play worse. The games Australia has lost have been close. His captaincy has managed to keep the Australians with hope, there is no way Australia should of even come close in the 2 run loss and 3 wicket losses. His own brilliant innings saved the loss in the third test. If anything his captaincy has been outstanding.

This has been a great series, perhaps one of the best ever due to the closeness and excitement of the games, things just havn't gone Australias way, they just arn't having the best of tours.

Blame Ponting if you want for the losses, its not his fault, hes one of the few who is performing well. Players like Hayden, Martyn, Gilchrist etc. need to step up and Australia need to sort out their bowling attack. I have no idea why Gillespie lost his place, mabee to work on his bowling to get ready for this last one. He bowled well in the second test when he had to step up into McGrath's place. He got attacked in the third test by England who were desperate to get their runs from somewhere.

 

[Sman-21]

None of the above all too old now and would only be around for a year or 2 and Clarke and Tait are too young and dont have the cricketing brains to be captain.

Although any of them would be a better captain than Vaughn

 

[angryangy]

I agree with irottev.

This thread will only draw the stupidity out in people.

 

[Will p]

If you look at the first post you'll see it's a bit of a wind-up, we're just making suggestions as to who else could be a good captain

 

[Yorkshire_No1]

Warnie would be the guy i would choose, got a lot of experience and knows his stuff

 

[angryangy]

If you look at the first post you'll see it's a bit of a wind-up, we're just making suggestions as to who else could be a good captain

That doesn't make it an intelligent discussion though. This just encourages hyperbole.

 

[barmyarmy]

Whilst I agree that the nature of the thread doesn't encourage intelligent discussion from everyone I don't see why it can't encourage it from some people. There have already been some very good comments in this thread and I was also genuinely interested to see how many Aussies blamed Ponting for the the current position rather than the whole team.
They have been very critical about his tactical nous of the Channel 4 commentary and on TMS and have suggested that he has 'lost' the team in terms of respect and leadership. Should Australia win at the Oval and retain the Ashes I'm sure everyone will forget about this pretty quickly and Pontint will be a hero again but should they draw or worse still lose, and look like an average team at the same time, people will have to ask why such a great team has played so badly for 4 out of 5 tests.
As an example of bad captaincy, in the first innings when Flintoff came in and England were 240/5 odd Ponting immediately set defensive fields and allowed Flintoff to play himself in rather than attacking him and pressuring him at the start of the innings. He then got himself in and went on to hit 100. Steve Waugh or Alan Border would never have done that. Ponting has been over-defensive at the wrong times (as has Vaughan been on occasion) and not looked in the least like an Australian captain.
In my opinion without Lee and Warne Australia would have suffered heavy defeats in the last three tests. Those are the two players that have really stood out with both bat and ball and made the games close despite the deficiences of the colleagues. Australia didn't become a bad team overnight and they've clearly been unfortunate with umpiring decisions too but this doesn't look like a champion team anymore. Even if they do retain the Ashes they will go home as a team in terminal decline who need a big clear out and a new captain.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Tait

 

[MWaugh]

I think the measure of a great team is that they stick by those who have served them before. If Australia just changes captains whenever they loose a series, (a new captain every 10 years isnt that bad a turnover though ) then you will find that there will never be any stability and it may turn out to be something like the indian situation (they always go straight for the top and get rid of the captain if all is not well). I personally still dont think the Aussies will loose the series (alot of hope in that aswell) but i am sure that he will not be fired at the end of the series.

All that needs to be done is for the openers and the middle order to step up and show some fight, then youll find it will all fall into place (much like the lords test)

 

[langerrox]

lol, cant believe you make threads like this, not gonna happen but if it did for some reason, you know who i picked

 

[dazza76]

Ponting, Hayden, Warne, Martyn, Mcgrath and Gilchrist will all be in there mid to late thirties when the 06/07 ashes series comes round.
Right now is not a time to choose a new captain. Ponting is doing a fine job and a knee jerk reaction will achive nothing. you can say Australia are under performing but i personally think it would be nearer to the mark to say they are playing against a much improved side in England we have not given them the chance to play to there peak abilities.

 

[langerrox]

australia showed their peak in that second innings, decent batting and brilliant batting, why cant we bowl like that all series

 

[ZoraxDoom]

lol, cant believe you make threads like this, not gonna happen but if it did for some reason, you know who i picked

Who? Hayden?

 

[barmyarmy]

australia showed their peak in that second innings, decent batting and brilliant batting, why cant we bowl like that all series

We were a bowler short for your second innings batting and the pressure of a low fourth innings run chase is something Australia themselves are famous for succombing too and with the best spinner who has ever lived bowling we were all pretty relieved to get home.

 

[dazza76]

We were a bowler short for your second innings batting and the pressure of a low fourth innings run chase is something Australia themselves are famous for succombing too and with the best spinner who has ever lived bowling we were all pretty relieved to get home.

Excellent point.