Thaindian News

Sydney, Mar. 26 (ANI): Australia’s national selectors will meet early next week to decide whether Ricky Ponting should captain the team to Bangladesh.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the selectors are likely to meet either on Monday or Tuesday to pick a one-day squad for Bangladesh.

They will have to decide whether to transfer the ODI captaincy to Michael Clarke or defer a decision until the all-encompassing review of Australian cricket is complete.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes there should be a complete review.

‘It’s time for proper rebuilding. I have thought all along that this summer was it for Ricky Ponting as captain. I felt at the end of the Ashes it was the right time to finish the Test captaincy. They were right to let him have the opportunity to defend his title at the World Cup but now it is time,” Chappel told the cricinfo web site.

‘You’ve got to have a new team. There’s not much point having the same captain with a different team. Different team, new captain,’ he added.

Ponting has indicated he would be prepared to play on as a batsman, perhaps down the order, but there is no rush to seal his Test future as there is a four-month break between the Bangladesh tour and the next Test series in Sri Lanka.

Ponting was not prepared to declare the end of an era.

He said: ‘I didn’t think we were far away from winning a game against a very good Indian team on their home soil. I think it’s a bit too early to say it’s the end of an era.’ (ANI)