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| Image from heraldsun. |
Australian cricket is in turmoil the latest scandal to rip
through the squad came courtesy of David Warner in the great Walkabout bar in
Birmingham, I have visited Walkabout many times and love the place. With Warner
now banned from cricket until the first test match and also with Michael Clarke
continuing battle against his persistent back injury there are no arguments that
the batting line up coming into the Ashes series is at its weakest in a long
time.
Looking back through the past Ashes series there has been a
certain number three batsman that has stuck fear into the England bowler’s
hearts. This man recently retired from the international game but is currently
showing he still has it on the country scene as he scores run after run for Surrey.
I am of course talking about Australia and worldwide cricketing legend Ricky
Ponting.
In past Ashes series we have seen the Australian public
starting campaigns to try and get the greatest spin bowler ever Shane Warne to
come out of international retirement to terrorise the England batsman once
again, this has of course never happened. So let’s get in there early for me
the only way Australia are to be competitive in this Ashes series is if the
great Tasmanian Ricky Ponting returns to his rightful place of number 3 in the
batting line up, perhaps it won’t be long till we see the #SUR (Save Us Ricky)
appear on twitter.
Is it possible though could this summer see Ponting return
back to the baggy green for one more time? I think it will happen and I think
at one point in this Ashes series we are going to see Ricky Ponting’s stroll to
the crease. Looking back at Ponting’s career statistics which you can see below
you can see why every Australian cricket fan would love to see him return.
Batting and fielding averages
|
Mat
|
Inns
|
NO
|
Runs
|
HS
|
Ave
|
BF
|
SR
|
100
|
50
|
4s
|
6s
|
Ct
|
St
|
|
|
Tests
|
168
|
287
|
29
|
13378
|
257
|
51.85
|
22782
|
58.72
|
41
|
62
|
1509
|
73
|
196
|
0
|
|
ODIs
|
375
|
365
|
39
|
13704
|
164
|
42.03
|
17046
|
80.39
|
30
|
82
|
1231
|
162
|
160
|
0
|
|
T20Is
|
17
|
16
|
2
|
401
|
98*
|
28.64
|
302
|
132.78
|
0
|
2
|
41
|
11
|
8
|
0
|
|
First-class
|
287
|
491
|
61
|
23939
|
257
|
55.67
|
81
|
106
|
306
|
0
|
||||
|
List A
|
456
|
445
|
53
|
16363
|
164
|
41.74
|
34
|
99
|
194
|
0
|
||||
|
Twenty20
|
36
|
34
|
3
|
765
|
98*
|
24.67
|
664
|
115.21
|
0
|
4
|
66
|
23
|
14
|
0
|
Apart from the phenomenal statistics a batting average that
even after 287 innings finished at over 50 Ponting will also bring something
that is missing in this current Australian touring side and that is experience.
Ashes cricket is different to any other cricket these guys will ever play in
forget the IPL or the Big Bash League with Ponting missing from the side the
Ashes experience is something that is missing from this side.
This morning an Australian national selector has announced
they will not be looking towards Ponting as a backup batsman to have on SOS
call should he be needed, I see this as a smokescreen to hide the fact Ricky
will take some part in this Ashes Series. Perhaps I will be wrong but with him
playing as well as he is for Surrey in the English conditions the Aussies would
be stupid not to give him a call before the first test at Trent Bridge.
That’s my thoughts on the return of the great one wearing
his baggy green once again during this summer but I would love to hear your
thoughts. Contact me on twitter through @TSF_Ashes or you can also like The
Sport Files on facebook for sporting discussions with others.
Thanks for reading
The Sport Files Ashes
Stats taken from ESPNCricinfo
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