Thaindian News

Bengaluru, Mar 13 (ANI): Skipper Ricky Ponting has said that the biggest problem facing the Australian cricket team is the falling standard of the Sheffield Shield.

While Ponting will tell members of Cricket Australia’s Argus Review that some changes are needed to the national team, such as CA investing in full-time batting, bowling and fielding coaches instead of the current part-time appointments, the skipper said he was more concerned by what was happening in the levels below.

“It’s probably well overdue that there’s a really in-depth look at Australian cricket - and that’s just not because of the way the Ashes result went this year,” he said.

“Even if we had won it would have been a good idea to have a review and have a look at all the structures that we have in place. There’s not many great organisations or great players around the world who don’t look at themselves, even when they’re going well,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

“Tiger Woods is a pretty good example. He wins a [golf] major and the next morning he’s out on the practice range re-grooving his swing. I’m not sure if that’s always been the case in cricket,” he added.

Ponting also said that this week’s Shield results, in which first-placed Tasmania and third-placed Victoria were both dismissed for barely over 100 in their matches, were indicative of the malaise in Australian first-class cricket.

Ponting had a Shield batting average of 57.6, after 29 matches, when he earned Test selection just before his 21st birthday. He said the lack of young players with similarly compelling figures signposted a problem with how they are coached.

“The biggest thing I’m worried about is how much of the long version of cricket kids are playing these days. It’s no coincidence to me that some of the techniques you see in state cricket are nowhere near what they need it to be to play Test cricket,” he added. (ANI)