Pont(ing) to be noted

 

As a cricket fan, again I am at a situation where I ask myself a question...”When should an established cricketer (read : great cricketer) retire?” It’s an open secret to my friends that one of the reasons why I admire Sunny Gavaskar and Sourav Ganguly the most is the timing of their retirement from international cricket. Both of them retired when people had a bit of a shocker and start asking “Why?” instead of “Why Not?” The million dollar question today is “Should Ricky Ponting retire?” I am not the greatest of followers of Australian Domestic Cricket Circuit, but still would like to give my few cents on why should or shouldn’t Ponting retire and what loss or gain Cricket Australia will have as and when they take a decision on this. 

First let me go back to two decisions I have mentioned in first para regarding Gavaskar and Ganguly. Both have initials of SG. I have been their ardent fan all life, in fact Sunny Gavaskar is my childhood cricketing “god”, like today’s generation has Tendulkar for the same reason. The day when Sunny Gavaskar decided to hang his boots I was in my first year of teen. Those days we had only Doordarshan and AIR to get updated with news. Couldn’t believe when news “broke” on DD that he is taking retirement. I literary stopped eating my dinner, stood up and washed my hands. For me it was end of cricket watching. But such things do happen when you are in your teen. When I grew up and started taking cricket as my serious passion, I started to admire Sunny Gavaskar’s decision more. We have seen many cricketers from the subcontinent and especially across the world, who fail to decide their right time to exit, and thus feel the kick on their backside from their respective cricket boards. Actually in case of “Dada”, the timing of his decision was off course timely one, but there were other issues as well unlike Gavaskar had in his time. 

Let us face it, Ganguly was not wanted at some point of time at the end of his career. Despite he was at his new peak the time was to inject “fresh blood” into the team. Dada was a cricketer with immense talent, but at the end of the day, he was having little bit lesser stature then Dravid and Tendulkar. I am desperately sure that there was some agreement between him and BCCI to have him his graceful retirement from international cricket. But the way he still is trying to prove the world that he can still play good cricket like Dravid and Tendulkar, shows he still thinks that he had to retire prematurely. No matter what public postures he makes or BCCI says, but as a cricket follower I feel this. Anyways, on the record, he retired when he was on his peak form and the matter ends there. He was all grace when he made his formal announcement, and after exactly 20 years on that day, I could feel tears in my eyes to hear such news regarding my cricketing hero retiring. 

Ricky Thomas Ponting, whose center point of this blog, is more or less on the same position as his former KKR team mate and Captain Sourav Ganguly was few years back. The only problem with Punter, as he is fondly called, is that he has very less “form” to show. He has been blamed for not showing up for Australia at crunch time, but then is Australia as a team except Ponting’s contribution doing better in any case? Same was the question when India had disastrous 2007 World Cup. India lost the first match against Bangladesh and blame was on Ganguly who was on the contrary, top scorer in that match. He was accused of playing slow. Here Ponting is blamed for his poor form effecting over all team performance, but in only few matches Clarke has done better and what about others then? Yes Ponting is out of form, but is he the only batsman who should score runs? What about openers failing? Hussey? Haddin? and inconsistent Captain? Clarke has “not so be proud about” average of 35.72 since December 2010. One of his three hundreds have come in winning efforts, one in draw and  he was clueless as others in that paltry 47 all out at The Newlands in Cape town, despite scoring a fighting century in first innings. 

There is a call from Allan Border that both Hussey and Ponting should be dropped from Indian series. I have admitted at the start of the blog only that I am not a follower of Australian Domestic Cricket Circuit, but is there any strong replacement? We all know no one can replace a player like Punter instantly. India still has not found amicable replacement for Dada. Yes Kohli has in his him, but till now he has not established himself. Three years have gone by since Dada has retired. Does Australia have a replacement for Punter who can at least guarantee to play punterlike cricket? Look at the series stature!! Its huge. Its Australia v India, and “Border-Gavaskar Trophy” is right now held by Indians. For last few years many Aussie commentators including Late Peter Roebuck has said that this series is as good as “The Ashes” if not better. If so then why taking such huge risk? May be Harbhajan is not part of Indian team, but why should we deprived of Ponting-Ashwin or Ponting-Ojha or  Ponting-Yadav or most awaited Ponting-Ishant battle? 

Forget good advertising for a series, but take a note of “experience” factor. I don’t know who was right and who was wrong in Katich-Clarke spat, but we can see Australian opening slot is vulnerable when Katich is absent. Hughes is total failure and surprisingly like past Indian cricket culture, he is probably in the team because his captain likes him and doesn’t like more of a “Test match specialist” Katich. Yes Warner has given you a hope that can rely on him, but yet if Watson is not fit, you need both Katich and Ponting. I have always believed that, problem with such “great” (talking about Ponting and not Katich here) players is, that they can find their form any time. Probably that’s why they are called “greats”. Plus as I said the stature of this series. Who knows, players like Punter thrives on such a big stage. As I said about Dada, who can forget his first and only double ton at Bengaluru? Remember India was four for nothing when he arrived. All great guns like Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman were back in the pavilion, but first Yuvraj and then Irfan helped him to get India out of the trouble. Who knows one good innings by Ponting, may be a slow hundred on Boxing Day, gives him the confidence he needs. New comer will certainly take some time, again lack of knowledge on Aussie bench strength stops me to write further on the implications of “what if Punter is dropped”, then its better to give Punter first two test matches. A century in both or either of two those tests, should guarantee his place in next two. 

Certainly as cricket fan, I would like to see a hard fought series between the two countries. I am not saying that if Ponting and Hussey are out India will have a cake walk. But yet these two gentlemen will certainly thrive and will do better against us. That will give us and the people at ground great value of our money. We don’t know what Ponting has gone through in last two-three days, since Hobart test is over. He also must have heard and read what others are saying about him. He is with the family members, must have talked with them. If he is courageous enough, then I am sure he will not retire on his own. If he feels, that he still got something to offer, he will not decide to retire, may be Cricket Australia have to force him to do so and set a stage for his “grand exit”. Who knows like Dada in his first press confy at MCG on the eve of “Boxing Day Test Match”, he will announce, “This is going to be my last test match series”. 

Even if he does that we can have Punter on board for this summer in Australia!! 

Dessert Storm!!

"I think one of the old boys will go,"

- Allan Border told Fox Sports show Inside Cricket.