Adelaide: Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was not impressed with Joe Root’s captaincy after England were heavily thrashed by 275 runs in the second Test in Adelaide on Monday.
Ponting stated that as a captain it was Root’s duty to check what length his bowlers were bowling at instead of pointing fingers after the match was over.
“I nearly fell off my seat when I heard that. Whose job is it then to make them change? Why are you captain then? If you can’t influence your bowlers on what length to bowl, what are you doing on the field?” Ponting was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Ponting’s comments came after Root had said the bowlers didn’t bowl in the right areas. Root’s comments didn’t go well with many as several ex-cricketers as they slammed the skipper for his remarks. “I don’t think we bowled the right lengths. If we’re being brutally honest, we needed to bowl fuller,” Root had said.
A big 275-run win for Australia gives them a two-nil lead in the #Ashes series as the teams head to Melbourne.
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 20, 2021
The 47 year old who led Australia to two World Cup titles further criticised Root, saying that the latter was not firm enough in terms of strategy with his senior bowlers. “Joe Root can come back and say whatever he likes but if you’re captain, you’ve got to be able to sense when your bowlers aren’t bowling where you want them to. That’s what captaincy is all about.”
Ponting even went on to suggest that the most promising period of England’s bowling performance had come when Root was off the field due to a groin knock. “The interesting thing for me is the only time they bowled full in the game was when Joe Root wasn’t on the ground,” the 47-year-old concluded.
With the defeat, England now trail 0-2 in the five-match series with the third Test starting on Boxing Day, which will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starts from December 26-30.
