Steve Waugh eyes Ricky Ponting’s departure after the Ashes
The pressure is back on struggling Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting once again, as his team nears an imminent defeat in the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.
The latest question mark over Ponting’s captaincy has come from former mentor Steve Waugh, who has favoured current wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and Tim Paine as potential replacements at the helm of the Australian national team. Waugh clearly decided to overlook
current Vice-Captain Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120, who is presumed to be Ponting’s successor, when the Tasmanian bids farewell to international cricket.
Ponting is currently under tremendous pressure, because he faces the prospect of becoming the first Aussie skipper to lose three Ashes series under his leadership. This loss may also cause Ponting to lose the captaincy, as the Australian selectors would
not want him to lead the team any further. Waugh told reporters, “That's the burning question right now: who potentially is the next captain?" It seems like the big debate in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 is the post Ponting scenario after the Ashes.
Ponting has been struggling in the ongoing series, and seems to be completely out of touch with the bat and his captaincy. The pressure on him became evident, when he lost his cool with umpires Aleem Dar and Tony Hill on the second day of the fourth match,
when the on-field and third umpires adjudged English Batsman Kevin Pietersen not out. Ponting was seen arguing with the umpires and batsmen, as he was visibly furious with the decision. Ponting was fined 40 percent of his match fee as a result of the incident,
after he pleaded guilty to misconduct. Such behaviour has not gone down well in the Australian press, and he has been criticised by a number if fellow players and commentators.
Steve Waugh predicted that the second innings would be very crucial for Ponting, and all will depend on how he plays on that day. He said, “It's a difficult one. There's a lot of pressure and everyone's talking about his game and he'll be feeling under pressure.
He knows that he's still capable of scoring runs. But you feel like time's running out as well, and the second innings here is a crucial innings. I mean, if he doesn't score runs here, in all likelihood we'll probably lose this Test and not get the Ashes back."
Waugh believes that even with all the pressure, Ponting should go out there and play his natural game and believe in his abilities, because he has been in these situations before.
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