Ponting isn't the reason for this lost series.
The squad selected, the fact that not one effective spin bowler was selected, bringing Watson in as an opener (sure he may have gone ok, but everytime the pressure was on, he meekly submitted), having an inexperienced pace attack (Lee and Clark should have played as many tests as they possibly could).
Worse of all was the selection of Hussey. He should not have been selected at all. His failure at 4 constantly put the middle order under pressure. You can't expect the middle order to come up with the goods under pressure every time.
The squad was more than adequate. Quite a few didn't perform as well as they should have but the touring squad was not the problem. Selections for certain tests yes.
Siddle was too erratic, form wise and bowling wise.
Hauritz was pointless
Watson should have been in the middle order if selected
Hughes should not have been dropped
Clark and Lee should have played more
Michael Clarke should have bowled a sh*tload more.
Siddle performed much better than expected and there is a reason why he was the leading wicket taker for the series.
Hauritz wasn't pointless but he isn't a first rate spinner. Still better than any spinner england sent up against us.
Watson did a capable job. No qualms apart from wether Hughes should have been dropped.
Lee was injured. Clark gave us one good innings out of three.
Clarke had a back injury.
Furthermore, Johnson showed that he's not the man to give the ball to when the pressure is on. He was given the opportunity to be our pace spearhead and he failed.
The ridiculous thing is that he was clearly out of sorts from the get go yet they tried to bowl him into form.
The only bowler who looked dangerous all series was Hilfy.
We needed more swing bowling.
Hilfenhaus stepped up big time. We need more practice matches and some preparation with the Duke. How they can go over for the most important test series we play and have trouble with the Dukes is a disgrace to the team management.
When you have a mob of players whose performances were inept more often than reliable, it's ludicrous to go blaming the captain.
Apart from Johnson and Haddin they weren't inept. Many times they were the sort of performances that we would of expected of england.
imo, the worst piece of captaincy was by Steve Waugh when he enforced the follow on to India in India.
As far as I'm concerned Ponting hasn't had a f**k up of those proportions as yet. And given he doesn't have the class players in their prime of Warne, McGrath, Gillespie, Lee, Gilchrist, Langer, Hayden, Martyn, Lehman, Bichel, Slater and Mark Waugh I think some people need to realise that Liz Ellis could have been the test captain of that side and we would have still won just as many tests.
I think this has been pointed out already as patently false.
The fact Ponting is able to take this young inexperienced untried mob and have them competing with a team like England and South Africa is quite impressive.
And you are all taking a lot away from Englands performance. This is the first time I've seen England with attacking bowlers. Their batting was very consistent from 1 to 9. Most importantly, the selected the right players for the wickets they were playing on, they used movement off the seam and pitch to their advantage and that enabled them to constantly apply pressure to the Australian batsmen.
So who is inexperienced? Hughes, North(?), Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Hauritz. Their inexperience had very little bearing on who won the ashes. The majority of the team is quite experienced and on paper quite superior to what england had (with the exception of strauss, pietersen and flintoff)
And let's get one thing straight - england did not play well. They bowled two good sessions all series. Their mediocre batting lineup got away from us on too many occasions. What did ponting do when that happened? SFA.
England effectively played smart and simple, which is always hard to beat.
england are still sh*t and apart from two good sessions with the ball they were mediocre.
That's why everyone is angry.
We were beaten by a sh*t team.
Broad is sh*t.
Harmison is sh*t.
Swann is doubly sh*t.
Flintoff has one knee.
Anderson is sh*t with sprinkles.
Pietersen is crap.
Bell is manure.
Bopara isn't worthy to be called sh*t.
Collingwood is a slightly higher grade of sh*t.
Prior? sh*t laughs at him.
Cook is okay.
Strauss is good. And a better captain than ponting.
Ultimately ponting and the coaching staff have to bear the blame. No amount of swiss ultivites can save him now.
