Ponting drooped from ODI squad- A bold decision from Cricket Australia

India
February 20, 2012 1:15am CST
The chief selector said that Ponting was disappointed but took it on the chin, like a man.Inverarity, the chief selector says the sights are on world cup 2015. This could be the end of the road for the most successful player in ODI cricket.India will forever remember the innings he played in 2003 world cup finals. Or the century he scored in the 2011 Quarter final, in a losing cause. Are Indian selectors doing enough to defend the World cup which was won after 28 years? Or are we sure that we can't win outside the sub-continent so why think that far...At least Dhoni has said that he may consider retiring from tests in 2013 to focus on world cup 2015.The on going tri-series in Australia is a wonderful opportunity to test out the younger players and India is doing the correct thing by resting the stalwarts and continuing to give chances to the likes of Rainand Rohit. I think Manoj and the others should be considered for the remaining games. The selectors should inform the seniors and phase out the older players well in time for the young guns to take over and become match fit with a few competition wins at the international level. Of the current older lot I don't see anyone other than Dhoni and Gambhir who can bea part of World Cup 2015...what do you say? Please.....
8 responses
@krajibg (11923)
• Guwahati, India
20 Feb 12
Hi fannekhan, If Ponting plays the 2015 version of World cup would not he surpass tendulkars' centuries in the ODIs seeing the current form of Tendulkar. He sprely cut a sorry figure in this tour. Or is he stressed thinking about the alluring century that is not being made? So Dhoni is retiring from Test? Not bad. He must have played enough Test Cricket!!!! India won the World Cup after 28 years and the present form does not speak a single word in favour of them as the defending champion for the next turn. You said about the young spirits. But are they getting their hands to the bat or ball? Why is not Tiwari being played is a mysterious tale. To be frank I have lost interest in Cricket and specially Indian Cricket.
• India
20 Feb 12
The talent in India by the lack of professionalism.There is no place for complacency in professional sport but in India we go by personalities and their hero worship. If a player is very good he becomes like a banyan tree, nothing grows in his shadow. Tiwari scored a century in the last ODI he played but finds no place in the next ODI and that is bad. In India professional cricket means treating cricket like a corporate job, players think they need to just show up to get paid,performance can take a back seat.
1 person likes this
• India
20 Feb 12
'The talent In India is matched by the lack of professionalism' is what i meant to write Rajiv....
• India
20 Feb 12
Ponting is struggling to find his form in ODI matches. The board had done the correct decision. There are enough players ready to play for them. Ponting should retire from cricket
@krajibg (11923)
• Guwahati, India
20 Feb 12
So is Sachin Tendulkar. Is not he? He was no where in the entire series. Now Ponting is staying till the next Cup. And what about our master blaster?
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
21 Feb 12
Well its certainly a bold decision but a good one to say the least.For winning matches on consistent basis the star value is not needed but your utility for team matters.If a batsman or bowler does not perform and he becomes liability for the team he should back off himself , instead its the job of selectors to drop him.In case of Ponting he was not ready to hang his boots for good of the team and hence selectors were forced to take harsh decisions ,they did the same to Steve Waugh 10 to 12 years ago.This is the perfect example for Indian selectors who are short sighted and adamant, currently both Sehwag and Sachin deserves to be dropped, Sehwag has only performed on home pitches that too against weak WI, he was failure in World cup, followed by Eng tour and big failure so far in Aus.Tendulkar has not been so bad but its time that he gives up ODI format of the game and should concentrate on his test batting if he wishes to play further.Next World cup is in Australia and neither Sachin nor Sehwag is likely to play in that tournament.Its hard to understand that why talented cricketers like Tiwari,Pujara,Mukund,Rahane,Bisht,Menaria are being ignored and overrated cricketers like Sehwag are given the chances.
• India
21 Feb 12
Ponting has been on firing line for quite some time now...the axe had to fall sometime or the other...he was also in some poor form. Aussie work differently, I 'm comparing here to the Indian board, probably they did the right thing in dropping him and bringing in someone raw to experiment and to look at the future. I don't think its the end of Ponrings era and the aussie selectors would definitely bring him back, he is still lethal and a game changer...just as he did in test matches.
@msdivkar (23359)
• India
20 Feb 12
Hi fannekhan, It is quiet unfortunate that the player of Ponting's caliber and stature had to get such an unceremonious exit from the game he dominated over two decades. He has been considered on par if not the best among the top notch O.D.I. players of all times. These are the glorious uncertainties of cricket, the man who dominated the test series few days back where Indian bowlers found it difficult to dislodge him, could not get to two figure mark in five consecutive innings. I still feel Ponting deserved better treatment from the selectors and should have given him better farewell. They should have given him the chance to choose the time of his retirement as was given to his predecessors, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. One man would have not made much difference to Australian team for the world cup which is quiet far. Ponting also has to bear the responsibility of this ignominy bestowed on him. He should have understood the demands of modern day cricket which is professional more than any thing else. He should have decided about his future himself rather than allowing selectors to do that. In any case Australian team would not be the same without Ponting for long time to come and thay will understand that shortly.
• India
20 Feb 12
1.Ponting was called and informed about the decision to drop him.The non-inclusion of Ponting is not unfortunate for cricket australia.It is clear that someone more deserving of that spot will get that chance,I think shane Watson is going to come in place of Ponting.In fact CA has treated him very well and given him the due respect. What better treatment can he expect after proving to be inconsistent over a period of time? Non-inclusion or dropping him is not a shame.. it was inevitable. Even Sachin has to be mentally prepared to be dropped, his retirement is not far off. What is laudable that cricket Australia is thinking of Australia's fortune and not that of the individual. Ponting is passionate and so is available for selection and if the selectors feel that he cannot be selected it is not an insult, it is merely a decision in favor of team Australia.How long can you continue to be selected on past performances? Nothing wrong if Ponting feels he deserves to be selected so long as CA knows who will be the better servant of Cricket Australia. CA has already started re-building the side and Ponting's end will not affect it much because the replacements have started to deliver results.
@vt689586 (584)
• India
25 Feb 12
yeah it is bold and beautiful decision by Cricket Australia.and Cricket Australia well known for their bold decision.because according to cricket Australia there is no place of feeling or sentiment in Game.if you are not performing good then go to your home and practice hard for the selection. and thinks this behavior makes Australian teams unbeatable.
@venkit (2955)
• India
20 Feb 12
Ponting played very well in test series but he was unable to carry forward that form in ODI. surely he was delivering poor performance in ODI, so just left him out. This is what MAKE THE AUSTRALIA SPECIAL from other teams. But they always have good bench strength, so need to worry for Australia.
@Hanki007 (34)
20 Feb 12
Australia is always a professional cricket team and there Board selects the team on merit and above any favoritism. I think BCCI should learn from Aussies, Ponting has been an asset to cricket But its all about deliverance and Ponting had a struggling career in last few months.