London, July 01: Ricky Ponting’s record may single him out as one of the most successful captains in Test cricket, but former fast bowler Jeff Thomson has unleashed a verbal assault on the Australian skipper’s captaincy skills, describing him as a ‘crap’ leader.
Thomson however, said Australia will win the Ashes series against Australia by a single Test but was too critial about Ponting whose captaincy, he thought, hasn’t improved one bit ever since he took over from Steve Waugh five years ago.
”I thought Ricky was crap when he was first captain in 2004 and nothing much has improved since then,” said Thomson at the launch of the Ashes.
”I’m not the only one who thinks that. I’ve always bagged him and everyone at home thinks he’s s–t at the captaincy.
”He’s a great player but captaincy is a totally different thing.
I couldn’t believe it when he’d been picked as captain. There was no-one else to pick but Ponting still had no experience.
”He’d only captained one side ever before. How did he get to lead Australia with that sort of experience? ”He was in a side that had very good players and now he’s got a side that has average players. He’s still left wanting.
”You see it on him – he gets frustrated. He worries when the players don’t do what he’s used to with the ball when he passes it to them,” the 58-year-old Thomson was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.
Thomson, also pointed out examples to indicate the flaws in Ponting’s captaincy and questioned his constant support for off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.
”This is half the reason he’s got a bloke in there who can’t even spin a ball (Nathan Hauritz). Simon Katich and Michael Clarke have more chance of taking a wicket than Hauritz.
”Why go for a guy like that? I don’t rate Hauritz. The choices he makes, his field settings and the things he does are never right.
He claimed while England have a better captain in Andrew Strauss, Australia wuill have an edge as they have a better team.
The legendary pacer maintained his earlier suggestions that Brett Lee does not deserve to be in Australia’s Ashes team and including him in the playing XI would be a mistake.
”England have the edge in the captaincy department. But while England have a better captain, Australia have a better line-up,” said the Aussie pace great, 100 of whose 200 Test wickets came against England.
”I don’t see a place for Brett Lee in this side. He hasn’t played for such a long time. ”Mitchell Johnson is a handy bowler but what’s really added another string to his bow is his batting – he’s a really good batsman. He bats properly and is a good hitter of the ball. He’s got defence and attack,” he added.
——-Agencies