Ricky Ponting should be sacked

[Rafa]

I saw the footage of the incident yesterday - only Symonds and HarbLucky_Countryan were in close proximity, Hayden walked past, but didn't react - which is rather strange, if his best mate had been called something racist.

India didnt lose the Test; if you evaluate the errors (eg Symonds when he in was in his thirties) and the 'outs' in the last couple of hours, well, they didnt stand a chance. That and the Australian's arrogant reaction to their 'win' - well - can't blame the Indian team really!

look, frankly, i have no problems with teams taking their bat and ball and walking off the field... when something is blatantly unjust and unfair...

I have often felt in some AFL games, that one team is getting such a bad run with the umps, they should simply walk out...

after all, this is sport, you play it for the fun of it... but if the governing body and umpires ruin that fun.... why bother....

I'd rather teams stop playing and force change for the better, than simply keep going thru to motions just for the sake of money.

And as for punter ponting... i have no problems whatsover with the way we play our cricket... ponting isn't my choice of captain, that would be gilchrist, but heck, its not that big a deal...

there are bigger issues here, and that begins and ends with technology... if would not be surprised that the reason technology has not been brought in, is because it makes it easier for the indian bookmakers to match fix...

i think if the indian team do walk out, and technology is brought into the game, it would be a huge blow for the match fixing industry... (and i would think the indian players would be the ones most sick of the illegal bookmakers anyway...)

there are only positives to come out of this...

 

[hugh44]

i am aussie. i love cricket, footy, beer.
ive felt this for a long time, and after the second test i am certain.
ponting should go.
he does not have the attributes of an australian captain.
relieve ricky ponting of the captaincy.


You may claim to be an Aussie but you're also an idiot!

 

[arminius]

aussiejeff,
all things being equal, the only person qualified to make an lbw decision is the umpire. angle, height, pitch nick etc. hawkeye is fallible. with 2/3 appeals each over, and going upstairs each time, a test would lose all momentum.
99% of umpires get the decision right 99% of the time. bucknor had a shocker. no two ways about it, and if he cant get those decisions right, esp symonds-1st dig, he should recognise that he is past his prime. be nice if he spoke up and said' hey fellas, if i cant get those ones i have no place here'. eyesight and hearing fail with age- its a fact of life.

cricket needs a scapegoat, and steve b may fall on his sword. nice guy, sad finish is this happens.

 

[arminius]

good on ya hugh.

why do you reckon that eh, cause i bag the aust captain? this controversy aside, he makes some very ordinary tactical decisions v often. in this test alone we were in a very winnable situation with a day and a bit to go and he very nearly blew it. he also took the contest away.
get rid of him.

 

[Mazrox]

Just read Greg Baum's piece in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Worth reading - here is the link:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/...-up-and-move-on/2008/01/07/1199554571857.html

Maz

 

[cuttlefish]

Ponting should go - his antics at the end of the match were childish.

Regardless of what he felt inside he had a leadership responsibility to not act like a gloating Galah (is calling someone a Galah racist?) but instead take the opportunity to show some humility and put things right.

He didn't and so he should go - he's not up to the job and because of his lack of leadership he has actually cost his team the recognition they did deserve for their efforts in the game.

Had he tackled both the Singh situation, and the end of game celebrations only a little bit differently he would have left India with their deserved dignity for playing a very good match under difficult circumstances and in doing so also obtained credibility and increased respect for his own team and their win.

Captaincy of the Australian team, like any leadership role, requires more than just on-field technical skills - it also requires the personal skills that go with the job - there's an element of the statesman required in the role that he hasn't got.

Nobody likes a gloating showoff, particularly in the face of a questionable win - so a whole team of them isn't exactly going to win a lot of respect.

Ponting had the opportunity to be gracious in victory and create a positive aura around the whole event - he didn't take it - he clearly put no effort into even considering this aspect of the situation - thats a lack of foresight and a lack of leadership - and he's let his own team down through his actions as much as anyone else.

 

[wildmanchris]

I saw the footage of the incident yesterday - only Symonds and HarbLucky_Countryan were in close proximity, Hayden walked past, but didn't react - which is rather strange, if his best mate had been called something racist.

India didnt lose the Test; if you evaluate the errors (eg Symonds when he in was in his thirties) and the 'outs' in the last couple of hours, well, they didnt stand a chance. That and the Australian's arrogant reaction to their 'win' - well - can't blame the Indian team really!

Im a kiwi - so dont really care cause we suck. However:

* Symonds is a great player, but im sure monkey isnt the worst that has been said to him and im sure he's said worst in his time. Maybe the heat of a pretty tight test set them off and needed to throw India. That comment should have been left on the pitch, the Aussies just got precious (surprise surprise).

* Sure Aussie wins alot, and might not be good for the game but the public EXPECT this now. The **** they cop when they dont win is massive and they are written off pretty quick until the next win.

* India did loose. Umpires, should haves, could haves - the result is in the book regardless of how **** the test was.

* Ponting may be a bogun, and not a great tactical captain but he's a leader and to quote Shane Warne from Parkinson he does a lot of great things as a captain. From my point of view he's carried Aussie cricket fairly well in the last few years considering world cricket has some pretty good players around. But agree, he handled this one pretty badly and probably knows it.

* Last, but not least - just play the game. Small issue, taken up way too much news time as it fairly pedantic.

Time to get the monkey off the back so to speak......

 

[Happy]

Hope cricket-governing body is not going to be intimidated by anyone.

 

[doctorj]

Apparently they've refused India's demand of replacing Bucknor in the Perth test. The skeptic in me can't help but wonder if it's got more to do with the lack of top panel umpires than wanting to stand up to the BCCI.

 

[prawn_86]

Its all been massively over sensationalised in the press.

Sure its a big story, but surely not head story on every news bulletin?

If the press didnt get involved no one would have cared by now, except for maybe the Indians back at home, but thats up to their press not ours.

Damn journalists...

 

[2020hindsight]

Time for a peacekeeper to stand up ... (Bhogle is a reasonable man after all)
getting completely out of hand...

(H's ban on top of India being robbed is bound to make anyone unhappy - imo)

Why don't they find another umpire - ANY other umpire than Bucknor (you might be right doc, there aren't any lol)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/08/2134013.htm?section=justin

Ban all sledging now: Bhogle
Posted 23 minutes ago
Updated 18 minutes ago
ABC Grandstand guest commentator Harsha Bhogle has called for sledging to be completely banned from cricket, as the sport reels from the stand-off over India's tour of Australia.

India has given the International Cricket Council (ICC) 24 hours to overturn spinner Harbhajan Singh's three-match ban for racially abusing Andrew Symonds, and relieve Steve Bucknor of his umpiring duties for the third Test in Perth.

The ICC in Dubai has already rejected the Bucknor demand outright, putting the governing body on a collision course with the powerful Indian board.

Respected Indian commentator Bhogle says the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) is now under immense pressure from fans back home to take a stance over what they see as unjust treatment in Australia.

"The anger in India is very dangerous and very difficult to believe ... it's pretty unprecedented," Bhogle told ABC Radio this morning.

"They'll (the BCCI) have to be seen to be doing something.

"I think there was anger at the decision-making and I think there was anger at the amount of abuse that was going on on the field.

"It's something that I am very upset about and I think there is far too much abuse on the field of play, and not too much done about it.

"I would like them to ban all abusive chatter on the cricket ground straight away because it becomes very cultural.

"I can tell you some of the things that were being said on the cricket ground apparently are things that would not be said in my family.

"If I was playing out there I'd have turned round and said 'This is unacceptable to me because I would not talk to my children like this and you're not going to talk to anyone like this'.

"But far too often that is considered acceptable in sport, it's OK to abuse someone consistently.

"I think it's a cultural thing and I think the best way out is to say, no abuse on the cricket ground, straight away."


Frustration

Bhogle says he can understand India's frustration at Harbhajan's suspension.

"I think they're (India) upset because of the ban as much as about the result," he said.

"I think if people now start to just go by one person's word against the other, then people are going to turn around and say 'You know what, he said something to me that is culturally insensitive'.

"So I think we've opened a can of worms to which we don't have an answer.

"And the ICC is a bit like the United Nations isn't it? They really have no control."

Meanwhile the Indian team has headed to the beach in Sydney as its tour remains in limbo.

The team boarded the same bus that they were supposed to travel to Canberra in yesterday, and left for Bondi Beach.

They were greeted by a large media scrum and about 50 Indian fans, some of whom yelled to Harbajhan "you're right, Aussies are racist."

Captain Anil Kumble declined to make any comment.

PS
Bring back Darrel Hair maybe ??

Then again, this from 1999
http://www.spur.asn.au/The_Daily_Telegraph_Death_Threat_to_Hair.htm

Cricket Umpire Receives a Death Threat from LTTE Tamil Tiger Terrorists

 

[Prospector]

If the press didnt get involved no one would have cared by now, except for maybe the Indians back at home, but thats up to their press not ours.

Damn journalists...

Never a truer word was said....or should that be written. Trouble is, that statement applies to everything!

These days, everything is Media driven.

And the galah joke - that is an interesting observation.

The ICC must bring in current technology, or else ban Channel 9 from using their gizmos. At the moment, the umpires make their human mistakes, and Channel 9 crucifies them. And the ICC leaves the umpires out to dry


I thought Ponting showed his immaturity and arrogance when, in the media interview, a journalist questioned his right to be captain. Ponting's reply was to say that if that reporter questioned his capacity as Captain, then he should not be at the interview! Oh, I get, Ponting only wants to talk to people who like him and don't question him! Sheesh, the height of arrogance.
Maybe he should get a real job someday!

Raising another point, players like Ponting left school to join the Cricket Academy. So they go from one kind of school to another, very sheltered one, and really dont see the 'real world'. And always in an environment that worships them - gives them a distorted impression of their worth. What do others think?

 

[doctorj]

Why don't they find another umpire - ANY other umpire than Bucknor (you might be right doc, there aren't any lol)

As far as I'm concerned, retaining Bucknor on the next test was the only option. A nation shouldn't be able to pick and choose their match officials.

Umpires have a hard enough job as it is without having to worry that they're likely to get the boot if they make a decision one of the teams don't agree with.

 

[Whiskers]

Just read Greg Baum's piece in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Worth reading - here is the link:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/...-up-and-move-on/2008/01/07/1199554571857.html

Maz

In any dispute situation you have to look at the evidence in sequence.

As Greg Baum says;

It began with Australian captain Ricky Ponting's double standard and mute protest when dismissed on the first day

And ponting filed the 'racism' complaint in the end.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

When you look at Pontings record as detailed on Wikipedia, I think we can do better for a captain. I'd reckon his days are numbered.

Controversies

• Ponting was involved in a fight outside a pub in Kings Cross, New South Wales in early 1999, and earned a suspension from the national team.[43]
• During Australia's tour of India in 1998, Ponting was reportedly thrown out of Equinox night club in Calcutta. The Indian papers reported that Ponting was misbehaving with several women in the nightclub. Ponting was fined for this incident, and later apologised to the nightclub staff.[44]
• During the 4th Test of the 2005 Ashes series, at Trent Bridge, Ponting was angrily outspoken about the use of substitute fielders by the England side, particularly after being run out by such a substitute. He directed an abusive tirade at the England dressing room and was subsequently fined 75% of his match fee.[45]
• After England won the match to take a 2-1 lead in the series Ponting returned to the subject of substitutes in an interview with Australian radio "I think it's an absolute disgrace the spirit of the game is being treated like that. It is within the rules; it's just not within the spirit of the game" he said. The England coach Duncan Fletcher later commented on this incident: "He [Ponting] completely blew his top. I did not actually think it at the time but, looking back now, that might be the moment when it became clear that England were going to regain the Ashes."[46]
• In 2005 he began using cricket bats with a graphite covering over the wooden blade of the bat. This covering was ruled by the MCC to have contravened Law 6.1, which states that bats have to be made of wood, although they may be "covered with material for protection, strengthening or repair not likely to cause unacceptable damage to the ball". Ponting and his bat supplier, Kookaburra Sport, agreed to comply.[47][48]
• Ponting has been fined for dissent on more than one occasion.[49]
• After the final of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, Ponting drew some criticism for appearing to ask BCCI president Sharad Pawar to "leave the podium" so his team could commence celebrations. The issue, while minor, was solved when Ponting issued a formal apology to Pawar.[50][51]
• After the 2nd Test of 2007-08 series against India, Ponting and the Australian Cricket team were criticized by the media and several former and present cricket personalities, for playing the match contrary to the spirit of the game. [52][53][54]. The Sydney Morning Herald went on with the headlines, Arrogant Ponting must be fired. [55]

 

[YELNATS]

relieve ricky ponting of the captaincy.

strategy. tactics. diplomacy. sportsmanship. subtlety. wisdom.
not in his vocab.

who instead? hussey

Ricky was appointed to get results, ie. to win. He has achieved 16 wins on end. Yes, too successful, better sack him.

Damned either way.

 

[Broadside]

Ricky was appointed to get results, ie. to win. He has achieved 16 wins on end. Yes, too successful, better sack him.

Damned either way.

They should probably sack those who chose him. He was an accident waiting to happen. Can't get rid of him now, just try to educate him in basic diplomacy and hope for the best.

 

[2020hindsight]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=343507

Bucknor won't umpire third Test in Perth
17:21 AEST Tue Jan 8 2008
Latest Cricket:

Umpire Steve Bucknor will not stand in the third cricket Test between Australia and India in Perth, International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed said on Tuesday.

Bucknor will be replaced by New Zealand's Billy Bowden.

...


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has suspended its tour pending the outcome of Harbhajan's appeal hearing.
But Speed could not say when that hearing would be held.
He was hopeful it would be held before the next Test, starting on January 16.
If the hearing was not held before then, he said, Harbhajan would be eligible to play in Perth. etc

well done fellas

 

[subi1]

India had 3 wickets left with 4 overs to go . I am sure everybody watching thought it was going to be a draw. 3 fantastic balls by Clarke and good catches by hussey and the game was over. I can't see how anybody can blame the umpires for that.

There was also a interview with Singh on the tv where he was saying the carry on in India wasn't acceptable. So if in fact he did call Symmonds a
monkey it seems fair that he should be held responsible.

The umpiring was obviously pretty poor but I can't see how that is Australia's fault and I have definately seen matches lost by Australia with a few bad decisions aiding the opposition.

Ponting is obviously an excellent captain and I think this is backed up by the fact that we are still winning after losing Warne,Mcgrath and Langer.

 

[Broadside]

Ponting is obviously an excellent captain and I think this is backed up by the fact that we are still winning after losing Warne,Mcgrath and Langer.

If winning is all that matters the facts speak for themselves, he is a good captain. If you value sportmanship and how we are portrayed through our cricket team (complete lack of humility and grace after they won on Sunday) you may have a different opinion, like I do.

 

[doctorj]

Absolutely woeful, disgusting and revolting.

As a sports official myself, words cannot describe how angry this makes me.

Bucknor is one of the best umpires going around. It's such a shame the ICC is subservient to the BCCI.

What message does this send?
a) It's ok to abuse sports officials, you'll get away with it and even rewarded
b) We don't value the contribution our officals make to the game
c) Don't make a call against India, you may get the boot
d) If India doesn't win, it's not their fault but someone else’s
e) The umpires are no longer independent
f) The ICC are redundant
g) All of the above

The ICC has a very rigorous performance assessment framework for their umpires. If Bucknor was found to be under-performing versus a set of benchmarks, then I’m all for him to be cut. What I’m not in favour of is teams being allowed to get away with bullying umpires.