Cut Ponting some slack. He is under immense pressure. His batting has been under unnecessary scrutiny. While his captaincy was never great, he has had to lead this side in very difficult times and the strain is showing. How many of us lose our rag in day to day life when under stress? All of us get agitated and we break out at times. Thats life. The biggest role models for young kids should be their parents and primary school teachers, not the Australian team's captain. Sure, Ponting should not have let go at that situation, but to bury a man when he is down, is just poor. Most of the media has just gone to town about his indiscretions, but none of us seem to have sympathy for a man who is under immense pressure. The least we could do is tell Ponting, mate, it happens to everyone of us at some point in our lives. Pity that your time has come in the mother of all series.

A bit harsh assessment but couldnt disagree either. He is a known offender, ill tempered, arrogant and disrespectful to his peers. All this had been ignored till now since his bat was louder. His bat no longer speaks, everything else about Ricky is audible/visible now and it sucks to know that such a legendary batsman has loose character.

We all face adversity in our lives,
It is how we face that adversity in our lives that is important.
Ponting has shown over the last couple of months that he is definatly a "good weather"captain.
I don't remember him loosing his cool too often when the Aussies were all over their opposition like a bad rash

Ponting was never a good leader and we in India still remember Sydney Test. He was always a spoiled brat like Harbhajan Singh.

But I like is batting. Save him, he is too precious as a batsman. Change the leader but play him as a batsman.

as we all know rule of thumb, there is fall to every rise and this in my opinion is the fall of Ricky Pointing. God gave him lot of respect and honor, but instead of retiring with honor and dignity he wants to continue as number one, which is impossible and as a result he will be thrown out of Australian team in very near future.

The umpires should have given it out based solely on Ponting's Integrity... :)

Can't help but think how big a chasm there exists between the game's 2 best contemporary batsmen.
One a wonderful batsmen. period. The other a fabulous cricketer, fantastic role model and a great sportsman.
No prizes for guesses.

Couldn't agree with you more, and there is no excuse for some of the behaviour on our cricket fields. I do feel that the "Heat of the moment", "under pressure", excuses don't hold water. People all over the world work under pressure. They don't use 4-letter words and abuse people across the table at meetings, though there may be far more at stake than a cricket match. Nor do I accept the "aggressive instinct/playing to win" theory. When was the last time Federer and Nadal abused each other? They don't play to win? Arguably no sportsman has faced greater public pressure than Tiger Woods this year. I don't remember him having a go at his playing partner to put him off his game.
Which is not to say banter, or a few digs, are out of place. But the line between that and what is happening is not a fine one at all.
What we have is just plain childish, boorish behaviour. Perhaps Ponting and his ilk could take a few lessons on good behaviour from the kids who watch them play.

Nothing new about it.It is a pretty known fact that apart from being a good(not great) batsman he is one of the australian brashs game of cricket will ever see.This is not the first time for Mr.Captain(Of bunch of lousy losers).The point is the said fine is too less for such a behavior.The so called was not against any opposition player but against an UMPIRE who is regarded as one of the authoritites of the game.The fine is way too less.The fine should have been of such a degree to set an example for others.Mr.Captain should have been atleat fined for his full fee match if not a match ban.And after that man has not even got any decency left in him to say a sorry word publicily.There would be buzz why to apologize publicily, for that matter I would like to bring in notice ALL THIS HAPPENED IN FRONT OF WHOLE PUBLIC.....

Ponting has always been one of the worst behaved cricketers and easily the worst example as a captain. ICC has consistently ignored his bad behaviour. I remember the India - Australia Sydney test in 2007 where Ponting was photographed seeing that he had grounded the ball while attempting to catch Dravid and had claimed the catch. The appeal was so laughable that Bucknor (with his virulent anti India and particularly anti Dravid record) ruled not out, in a game that he won for Australia. Rashid latif was banned 5 matches for a similar offence. With Ponting, there was no action. At Mohali, Zaheer was clearly talking to Laxman and again he was allowed to go scot free. Ganguly, for much less dissent, was banned for a couple of games. Ponting has consistently been ICC's blue eyed boy and the sooner he is dumped, the better it is for future generations.

" Being a role model is not a part time gig"- very well put. Does any one actually need reminders of the occasions on which Ponting has let his team, nation & the spirit of the great game down? This is one more area wherein Sachin pulls out a great chasm between him & others. I liked the part about beer endorsements as well. Am sure every one remembers that Sachin recently turned down a multi million dollar deal for an alcohoic beverage. None in contemporary cricket has had more harsh decisions than Sachin, but have we even once see him do more than just shake his head? Do we remember his coming out & pacifying the Kolkata crowd after being run out?
Being in the media glare, every sportsperson has a responsibility; a captain more so. Sadly Ponting has never realized that.

These people get away lightly. If it was some one from the subcontinent, he would have been banned from playing for some matches. This is not the first time that Ponting has misbehaved, this has happened many a times, he should be banned for 4 Tests and 5 ODI's.

Ponting clearly showed the difference between a good cricketer and a great sportsman.. maybe he should learn alot from greats like Tendulkar, Murali etc..

I would point to mitigating circumstances around his poor form and the Ashes slipping away, put it down to frustration and the notion that he is under stress.

The real character of a person can be judged when his mates are failing and the team is dependent on him to perform and to carry them towards victory. Think of SRT playing for the Indian team in the 90's or of Andy Flower, throughout his Zim career. We have seen the real Ponting only in the last 3 years.

Ponting needs to retire gracefully before his actions lead us to identify him as a graceless.

Well what goes around comes around. He sure looks 'mentally disintegrated' for good measure.

Hi -Ricky has lost McGrath,Warne, Hayden, Gilchrist, MacGill, Gillespie and Langer over the last 5 years - that's a massive void in any national cricket team.
So my beef is not so much with Ponting (although there are some concerns), no my beef is largely to do with the people in charge. Players are the first to feel the effects of a bad decision, then the team and then the paying crowd. Contrary to some players and critics, the public does have a right to voice their opinions - we're the ones copping the marketing hype of cricket administrators from any nation wanting us to sign up to one of their principle sponsors products and of course spending a weeks pay to go to the cricket with your son or family - (think about the food and drink let alone the ticket price). In some cases, even our taxes have been applied to the benefit of cricket.

Solution - 2 part plan.

A) Immediate action

B) Planning for the future

Immediate action - Chairman of selectors (Andrew Hilditch) resigns. 2 Ashes series in England lost, and now expectingly a loss at home. When players have not performed you have sacked them. You have let some players stay longer than they should have (Marcus North) but then let a plethora of players disappear (6- 8 spinners used in the last 5 years) with little patience. You've given mixed messages to the team, the media and importantly the public. On your watch Australia has slipped on the world rankings - this hasn't occured overnight. There have been co^kups in team selections aplenty when a result was needed badly - think about the Oval.

Coach - Tim Nielsen must go. Seems like a nice bloke but what really is your role. Occasional selector in tour, media spokesperson and player confidant. Players technical skills are continuously found wanting against good bowling and field placements.

I see your role has a technical role with a lot of skill on opposition analysis. No improvement since John Buchanan left.

Ponting - Australia Captain is dethroned of the captaincy.

Clarke - Is appointed with a fixed term of 1 year. After that due diligence is applied. Pass that, you then have the captaincy till the end of the next Ashes tour.

2 ex senior players like say Border and Chappel are applied as mentors/coaches.

Current players are made aware formally of who is on the cusp of the joining the team.

More tour matches are programmed (1 to 2 more games on tour) to assist in the development of up and coming team players.

Planning for the future - Players aged between 17 and 21 are identified (they usually are by state coaches/selectors/ scouts) for a special long term development squad.

These players are mentored by the likes of Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Shane Warne - every 3-5 months they spend 4 days in intense training.

Skill training on reading playing conditions, types of bowling, batting techniques, identifying player weakness, media training, time with the mentors and how to apply the right winning attitdue.

3- 4 players are sent for a week to travel with the Australian mens cricket team whilst on tour.

The Cricket Centre for Excellence in Brisbane at Border oval may say that's in part what they do but the talent is not flowing.... Usman Khawaja looks good but is he ready - really ready to go with our new standard?

I may very well have alienated many with my views but there's no time to stand still and accept the status quo.

Final message - "The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." — Albert Einstein

Andrew Hilditch please consider another viewpoint, you're not always right.

Some interesting comments! Firstly, on the subject of the sanction imposed by the referee - Ponting's punishment (fined 40% of match fee) was at the top end for a Level 1 offence which ranges from an official reprimand to a fine of 50% of match fee. The idea that he should have been banned for 4 tests and 5 ODIs (Prasad)- or that other players would be - is nonsense. Such a punishment would be used for a Level 3 or possibly a Level 4 offence. However, I do agree with much of what has been said. The captain sets the tone for his side's conduct and acts as a role model for the sport - as an experienced player, Ponting should know better.

Every time a " you can take the boy out of Launceston.." type quote comes up, it only underlines the fact that Ponting has not grasped the true role of a cricket captain, especially in the modern era. An Australian captain has always commanded respect for his ability to harness the competitive spirit of his players, which comes as naturally to Australians as suckling to an infant, and rein them in, all the while staying both involved and above the team. By not grasping this nuance, Ponting has undermined the belief of the selectors who elevated him to this post in spite of his disciplinary record, believing that he has the wisdom to mature into a statesman. He also threatens to tarnish the heritage of those who have gone before him in the office, and create a stereotype for the future, which his successors will find hard to live down. Indeed, the ability to maintain that dignity should be one of the more important traits the selectors should look for in future captains.

It's all very well to compare Ponting with his predecessors; not all of them were what you may call "role models". One has only to recall Greg Chappel's underarm bowling to save a test; Border's refusal to allow Kapil dev a glass of water after he inadvertently hit a bird; and Steve waugh's theory of mental disintegration!

Pls dont compare ponting and sachin. Its not being fare to sachin. Both are great batsmen. But being a sportsman, Ponting can never be even close to the master.

Michael,
I COMPLETELY agree with all you say. I have to add, though, that while you have also commented about the ICC and the "Spirit of Cricket" and that "venerable upholder of the same" Ranjan Madugalle, I think they deserve a post all on their own. So long as they and others of their ilk continue to say one thing in a general sense, and act completely at odds with that in (some select??) specific cases, all this will not stop. Ponting is just one example of a person taking advantage of their laxity, albeit the most glaring one. Meanwhile they take such enormous pride in such things as banning a captain for slow over rates....!!!
Cad

Reading the many of the comments i can not stop laughing.....Firstly PONTING can not be called GREAT as he has not done this first time......and why to blame the pressure and strain etc to blame for his doings..was he under any pressure when he done the same in Sydney 2008 against INDIA....its the behavior of him and can not be ignored..he should have been BANNED for at least a couple of matches....

I strongly agree with Prasad.

and MR. Venket : please grow up...

There was a lot of pressure on ponting with his poor batting form and the ashes slipping away. ok. but, all said and done, arguing with the umpire, that too one of the best umpires aleem dar, when the replays were definitely inconclusive, was unbecoming of a sportsman and the fine was a light one. he should have been banned for one test match.

Ponting got it badly wrong, which is a sign of the immense pressure that he is under, although not totally out of character for him. I think that he should step down as captain at the end of the series, but given the lack of quality batting in the side, he has to stay on as a batsman in the hope that he has still got something to offer to the team. The problem for the Aussies is that Clarke is in no position to take on the captaincy, and of the others, only Hussey has the clout to captain the team in the current situation.

Where is Mike Denness when you need him? :-) He would have spared the English and Aussies, and fined Ranjan Madugalle. LOL

I think that Ponting has simply cracked under the weight of expectations. What happened was unnecessary. Without going into his merits as captain, I feel that his time is nearing an end. The confidence is not there, he has been consistently failing at the critical No 3 slot, putting pressure on the middle order. Time for him to do some serious introspection about his future. He is a modern batting great, but if he continues like this, all those big runs he scored for Australia will be forgotten. Maybe there is still hope, if he quits the captaincy to work on his batting. But this is something the Aussies don't permit. The last ex-captain to continue was Kim Hughes and he did not last long.

I was a great fan of Ponting, much more than Tendulkar. But now I think he is a poor character who is going down fast. How can you say I did not mean to be disrespectful to the umpire. Look at the picture, that will say you are respectful or disrespectful. If you are an honorable man, you should apologize to the umpire and the audience one more time.

For many ardent cricket fans, this remains the core difference between a Tendulkar and a Ponting. Only one is a champion on and off the field. And it ain't my Aussie mate.

Absolutely agree with each and every statement of this article. On a cricket field I have always been taught that you win like a man and lose like a man because its a gentleman's game. But it is contrary on Ponting's case. When his team was on the winning side(not too long ago),he was not only a hero of Australians but also cricket loving people across the world. His behavior(to one of the most respected umpires in the cricket world these days) was unacceptable. Yes he has lost a lot of good players in his side and everyone sympathizes but every team in the world goes through this, remember the west indies of the 80s?.

Ponting is not losing like a man. He is loosing his respect in the cricket world.

Being a Ponting fan for years it's sad to see him behave in this way.All I can say to the people out there saying he has been given a hard time is "Wake up my friends". I mean yes I get the part about him being under pressure and staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat at the hands of (a very good) English side must all be hard to handle but come on Ricky you're not doing yourself any favours with the tantrums.If I could describe how all of this affects not only me but the army of fans across the world in a few words....Do any of you remember a certain 'Iron' Mike biting off Holyfields ear? Well I was a Tyson fan until that point. Enough said.

This is the real face of all these so called role models and Ponting is just one of them, and I can tell you most of them are the same save a few.
disappointing attitude and should have been banned for playing few matches etc. Rubbish organaisation this ICC and low character players all over, same is true with every other sports.
I am sure in next few years this behaviour will be norm.

This is the real face of all these so called role models and Ponting is just one of them, and I can tell you most of them are the same save a few.
disappointing attitude and should have been banned for playing few matches etc. Rubbish organaisation this ICC and low character players all over, same is true with every other sports.
I am sure in next few years this behaviour will be norm.

this is the sample of all the sports stars of this era save a few. it looks the public in these sports loving and arrogant, so called modern countries are of same type, as stars come from among themselves.
in the slightest of excitement, you can see abusive gestures and language with the opponents, and now with the umpires.
these are not worth it.

Seriously?.... This article asks someone who has all their life cultivated a very physical aspect of his life, to suddenly become a great thinker! Are you people mad? If you wanted statesmanship and a role model for your children, you should show them Mr. Obama, or tell them about Helen Keller, or let them follow in the footsteps of Einstein or Schweitzer (both Albert's, as you well know). There are hundreds of suitable people for your children to emulate as role models.
Ponting is a cricketer. Full stop. He is NOT a surrogate parent, nor should he be considered as anything other than a great batsman.

From the start of his career, Ponting has been a PRATT. His attitude towards other players, umpires, the media, and fans has always been poor. He has had words with umpires many many times, Not just since Aus started losing.

Many a time an umpire has been swayed into making a decision because of who austrealia were in the world. The champs, the plunderers, and ponting bad behavious was ignored because Australia was the best.

While being a great batsman, he has always been a bad sport. WHile I was in australia in 2005 , I watched a program about ponting, and there were many comments about him being "driven" etcetc, but just as many about his attitude, and how he believes he is better than anyone else. That clearly comes through in how he treats others around him.

Winning changes everything... Sadly if Australia was winning right now and Ponting's outburst had occurred... everybody would have been commending him on his aggressive leadership and commitment to perfection; but since his team is loosing... people are ready to call this bad behavior... Ponting has always been a spoilt brat who doesn't have the temperament of a true leader... IT IS HOW YOU HANDLE ADVERSITY...THAT DEFINES YOU AS A HUMAN BEING...and as a LEADER... Please quit trying to be an apologist for his pathetic performance... He is a great batsman who deserves his due... but I have very little respect for him as a sportsman... like it or not... these guys are role models. I know I know... parents are supposed to be that... but we all know young kids gravitate towards sports and hold these people in high regard... not justifying it but just merely stating a fact. Would anybody be paying Ponting all this money to be a spokesperson if he was your average JOE? Price of fame my friend

Wow!I don't see a single person defending Ponting. I'd have expected this to turn into a battle between Ponting fans vs Tendulkar fans but the comments have been mostly decent so far.

A credit to you as a writer M. Jeh, that you have sane fans of cricket (and not certifiable loonies ) following your blog.

I would just like to see a fair approach to punishments. That goes for characters like Bhaj, Big Benn from WI and others. Captains have a far greater responsibility to uphold the spirit of the game than normal players, and thus their transgression should punished much more severely.

Aus have just lost the Ashes, so I guess karma comes back to all of us. But look on the bright side as Andy Zaltzman would say. Andy would most certainly urge Ricky to stay on as Captain and chase that elusive record of having lost the Ashes to England 4 times as a captain. God speed to you Ricky, may you stay on until you meet England again.

Ponting should have been given a match ban. Would this be the same punishment given if an Asian captain had behaved the way Ponting has done? They would have banned the Asian captain for 3 matches I guess.

It makes me laugh that all the Indian fans are still mad about losing in Sydney 3 years ago. Guys- get over it!!! Now, its always been obvious that ponting wasn't a good choice as captain, totally agree with everything written in the article. Andrew Hilditch must also take a lot of responsibility for the current state of aus cricket. For the good of the team, both he and ponting should step down. Can't see it happening though, there's too much money on offer these days. Sigh.

There is something wrong in the BASIC understanding of PONTING.
What the hell was in his mind when he was arguing with on field UMPIRE. After REFERING to THIRD UMPIRE, it was third umpire who decided as he is the one with all the hi fi technology available for his help to decide.
IT IS NOT "WHAT" HE DID BUT "WHY" HE DID.

same can be said about Wasim Akram, who was a great fast bowler, but his on-field behavior was sometimes just jaw dropping, quite unexpected. Not fit for a captain, and unfortunately same goes for Ricky.

I agree with the comment on match refree, Ranjan Madugalle and his wet leaf. Ponting should have been fined the whole match fee and banned for the next match. For God's sake, he is the Capain of the Australian team. He argued with Alim Dhar, Steve Davis and Petersen sparing only Trott probably because he was not nearby. For lesser offences Madugalle had been harsh on other players.
I feel Ranjan Madugalle should retire as match refree. Some one who applies the same yardsticks to all players who breach the code has to come in his place. I am even more fed up with him than with Ponting.

Considering the number of Ponting's offences, the fine is a slap on the wrist. he should be suspended and miss the Sydney Test

I seriously believe that ICC should make it a law, allowing players to disrespect officials and opponents without slightest of hesitation, if they are:
- among the greats of the game
- if they are under immense stress and adversity
or
- if they are the captains of one of the top teams in the world.

The comparisons between Ricky Ponting and George Bush just continue to fascinate me. Both of them took reigns of an imposing, all conquering setup and with their impetuous, bratish and downright snobbish ways ensured the setup which had no challengers previously turned into second best at every thing and above all became amoral. The childish tantrums he threw at the umpires in Melbourne, if he repeats that at Sydney, one cant discount the aussie sense of humor and a flying shoe might be his final legacy.

I think ponting never acted like this during the time he was not the captain of the team. He seemed humble and played his game. It just shows that he is not up to the task when under pressure and we dont see that much because australia is rarely under this sort of pressure and the team members as a whole have strong nerves.

I regard Ponting's batting skills highly, not so his captaincy and definately not his sportmanship!
He had it easy with the likes of McGrath, Warne and Gillespie, it's easy to captain a winning team.
I find it dissapointing the he finds it necessary to query just about every decision that goes against him/his team. At least twice in the current series he has been blatently caught, both shots hit (clearly) into slips/gully area, both caught easily - yet on both occasions he looked at the umpire rather than just walk, almost daring the official to give him out! I'm afraid his SMS gets the better of him at times!
For these reasons I feel that dispite he's batting exploits he'll never be regarded as one of cricket's greats. He can never be compared to the likes of Sir Donald, Sobers and Tendulkar et al.

Great article Michael! If Ponting and other serial offenders are to be bought to book, then first the match referee should be one with real authority and the SAME standards for everyone in the game. This would include people like Ian Chappell, Anil Kumble, etc. It would most definitely NOT include Ranjan Madugalle. The minute I learnt that he was the match referee, I could have predicted the 'punishment' that Ponting was going to receive. Other cricketers have received far severe panalties for relatively less or even repeat offences (such as the behavior shown by Mr. Ponting). And if anyone believes that Ponting didn't mean any disrespect towards the umpires, then they might also believe that the current Australian team is a great team!!

To all The CHEATER( ponting) FANS::

he is not either GREAT batsman nor a great sportsman.This is his career:

Three Phased Approach

Phase Matches Runs HS BatAv 100 50
1-50 50 3081 197 44.65 9 14
51-108 58 6235 257 72.50 24 22
109-148 40 2934 209 43.14 6 19

The above table is self explanatory. While Ponting has been an average performer for the majority of his career (around 95 tests) however his overall career stats are impressive due to his extended purple patch from 2002-2007 during which time he had the luxury of playing in one of the best test team ever assembled (with due respect to the WI team under Clive Lloyd). A team where he came at no 3 and always relished on the impressive start given by openers, a strong middle order to follow, the world best wk batsmen in Gilchrist and two world class bowlers in Shane Warne and Mcgrath to clean the mess if it ever come to that. He also played with graphite laden bat during this period which was banned by ICC.

However, Ponting is back to his usual ‘average of mid 40’s’ once the real legends of Aussie cricket have retired. If his latest form is any indication and we are talking about his last 3-4 years phase, he has shown amazing consistency in achieving that mid 40’s average to where I personally feel he truly belongs.

Conclusion

While there is no denying that on an overall basis Ponting has pretty impressive numbers to show in test cricket, however a further analysis on various parameters reveals some shocking anomalies which raises question mark on his consistency and talent. For someone who has figured in almost 100 test win, the numbers should have been much higher for a no 3 batsmen. He has impressive record at home and it helps that his team plays majority of their test matches at home, his away records are not much to speak about. What is most interesting is that his career seems to have been three paced or rather two paced, for his first 50 and last 40 tests he is your mid 40s average kind of player and then from 2002-2007 he has these huge numbers which inflates his overall career averages.

Ponting career can at the best be described as erratic. He had his extended purple patch during 2002-2006 which makes his overall career look much better than it actually has been. He has simple been lucky to play for a team which has won 68% of the time he has played. Ponting has played bulk (55%) of his test matches at home in familiar conditions. Ponting was further lucky to be playing in a world beater team where the openers made over 8k runs at an average of over 50 even before he had to even put his pad on, had a strong middle order to take care in case he didnt perform and a world class bowling line up to take care of any mess if every batsman failed. Ponting has been able to play with an unrivalled freedom most of his career something that no other batsmen has ever been afforded. It also helps that during this time Ponting never had to face the most potent bowling attack except in the nets. Ponting has been lucky to play in a team which had almost all the world class bowlers and opposition had virtually none. Even during his career, whenever Ponting faced quality bowling – be is spin in India or pace bowling in England and at home, he has struggled and his technique exposed.

Above everything else, statistics does not really reflect the class, technique and the effect – all three areas where Ponting really falters. Ponting has had his share of controversies, on and off the field. He has been a volatile youngster, has had a self confessed drinking problem, has done ‘silly’ things on the cricket field which have gone against the true spirit of the wonderful game of Cricket. When Ponting will retire (or forced to retire), am not sure what the cricket fans would remember about Ponting.

@Garry - Deciding the level of offence gets very subjective too. Repeated level 1 offence amounts to level 2 offence. And Ponting has a history of continued level 1 offences, some of them separated by less than a year. He could be charged for not being able to keep his team-mates under control (level 2 offence) given how Siddle along with he himself were in the ears of Mr. Dar for quite a good amount of time. Captains have been banned for not being able to control over-appealing by their team-mates. Also, I wonder how this is not a stronger dissent that an instinctive verbal dissent by a batsman after he is given out (a strong dissent amounts to level 2 offence, again).
@Chris - "All the Indians"? And it's not quite a bad time to mention Sydney anyway given the similar discussion of a captain's behaviour.

So this is christmas!! for aussies(:p)

Abusive behavior in the field should not be tolerated. I feel it is high time to introduce penalty cards in cricket (like in football and in so many other sports). Personal abuses/ Sledging should never be seen with a lighter intent. Ponting actually deserved a sent off from the field for his altercations with the officials esp. considering his history of such incidents and considering that he was leading the team. Lets bring back some respect to the game by avoiding such incidents which are happening from all teams on a regular basis.

well what happened...happened to quickly even to ricky's knowledge. he has to learn the difference between a mistake and a habit. he has to realise that these kind of gestures are indications to all who watch, that YES I AM LOOSING IT AS IS THE MATCH...not much repairs can be done to a burnt engine block. and there are a few things that people should understand. firstly aussies are no more the side that they used to be with the likes of mcgrath, gilly, hayden,langer, warnie and to name a few.the bench strength is void.sides like india and england are making sure that they get there youngsters to ground zero, no matter even if they loose...check india's tri nation at zimbabwe... to prove it u can see the average ages of all the teams.whats the use of hyped up the domestic competitions when you are not going to let these guys play? then again there's another thing to be noticed. with all the serious offence made by ricky, he is still not punished harshly. and there lies the mistake.

I think PONTING and only he, is responsible for this behavior. Not pressure from not scoring, not the ashes nothing but Ponting period. I would suggest he sits down and take a good look at his actions on the said day and offer an apology to all concerned now he has been fined. NOT I did not mean to disrespect you Aleem etc and honorably vacate the position of the Aussie captaincy. That job is for people who know what it means and stands for cos he Ponting obviously doesnt.
As for Madugalle, i guess he just forgets the precedence he has set in the past and judges based on whats on offer and in the process creates an unfair system cos i would hate to believe the alternative.

Ponting's on-field behaviour was totally unacceptable; pressure or no pressure. The question is why was he let off without any punishment? Fine, he apologized later; fine, he didn't mean to show Alee Dar any disrespect; but i doubt on-field behavioral offences by other players in World cricket are pre-planned! Other players have been fined and banned for less serious offences than this. It was shameful to see a cricketer of his stature to behave like that.

With players like steve waugh, Shane warne, Mcgrath, Haydos, Gilli, Damien martin, Langer.....Mr.Punter was over the moon.....never had any respect towards the opponents...thats y when he is going through a rough patch no one is there to support him...

Silly attitude
Poor guy can`t control,look his past you will notice not only him the majority of Austarlian player(New generation) behaves like they are GOD and whatever they are doing is perfect,its mere attitude and they must learn to show some repect of officials and opponent so that they can become great players and respecated team.

@Venkat..Cant agree more. Ponting has been around from 1995, till now is a testament to his quality as a batsman. He has served Aus well till a few months back and this fact shouldn't be overlooked. He is within his rights to be aggressive since that is the quality which has seen him last this long and be the forte of Oz for so long. His was a prized wicket till recently, and will be so in a few months more.

After the 438-Game in south Africa, Ponting showed admirable statesmanship when he declined to share the man of the match award with Gibbs (also a Pratt), and allowed Gibbs to take it for himself. But this outburst against the umpires along with his finger-wagging..... it's just not cricket, you know.

In my day cricket represented sportsmanship in the truest sense of the word. The umpire's decision was final and was accepted, whether it was right or wrong, and nary a ward was said about it thereafter.

Yes Ponting's behavior was unacceptable. he was always an angry young man when things does not go to plan, i remember once javagal srinath apologized to him after hitting him on his helmet ponting was furious shouted at srinath, but once bret lee bowled a beamer at sachin's shoulder sachin looked up and accepted his apology with smile.

apart from all these as said, on international sport where the whole world is watching this is not the way to behave.

i would blame ICC more so than Ponting i can atleast remember POnting behaving like this many times and ICC never given him a strong punishment so that he realizes. but having said all these Ponting is one of the modern greats in batting and i love his bating.

all are really jealousy about ponding.every body want to see his retirement .but idont know why,he is the greatest cricketer,he will bounce back.no one have brave to say remove him asa oneday captain because of his world cup records as a captain and as a batsmen.all comentators and all world famous cricketers should have realised,we all are not able to speak comments about him because of his records .if ponding retired aussie wii win all matches,pls stop let him continue at least two more years as a captain.i like to watch again india vs australia world cup matches again u know why after that match ponding will make 90 crore enemys more

What RP did wasn't cool. But what rock are you living under Jeh? This has been going on for longer than you and I have lived. It's just that it's now magnified in our fish bowl world with TV, print, social media including blogs by just about any hack who can write a few words. This is nothing new. Humans have put such men and women on pedestals for ages. Only to see them come up short or fall. The focus then should be on where we lay our priorities. On the few who can throw/catch/bat/run better than the rest? Why not spend time writing about those in the sport who are actually making a difference? These are the real heroes along with the "ordinary" folk who doe the same. But unfortunately controversy sells. Giving Ponting any time only helps his cause. Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity. If you're not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

The office of Australian Cricket Captain is second in importance to Australians only to the office of the Prime Minister. He represents us on the world stage. I agree completely with this article. I'm an Australian and I can handle losing (at least sometimes) - but Ponting has made all Australians look like BAD losers, which we are not. Ponting's actions in Melbourne should mean that he should be relieved of the captaincy, if not sacked from the team as a batsman as well.

I truly believe that Australian cricket could only be dominant again after Ponting goes. Ponting acts as though he is bigger than the game. He disrespects umpires and is allowed to get away with it. He determines if he should play, not the Australian selectors. That's how powerful he is. No wonder he appears to have no respect for umpires and players of opposing teams.