Ashes 2021-22 | ‘Why are you captain then?’ – Ricky Ponting slams Joe Root for comments on England bowlers

12/21/2021

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has slammed England skipper Joe Root after the former said that his bowlers needed to bowl fuller and be braver, after his side's second Ashes Test defeat in Adelaide on Monday, December 20. Australia are currently leading the five-match series 2-0.

Australia won the second Test of the Ashes in Adelaide by 275 runs and are now leading the five-match series 2-0, after having taken the series opener in Brisbane by nine wickets. It was a dominating display from the hosts as they completely decimated the opponents on either fronts. As for England, nothing quite went in their favour, with the bowlers found wanting, especialy in the first innings, while skipper Joe Root and David Malan have been the only batters to have looked comfortable in the series thus far.

Root had stated that his bowlers needed to bowl a bit fuller and be a bit braver after the Adelaide defeat. Reflecting on Root’s comments, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting expressed his surprise, saying it is the responsibility of the captain to make the necessary changes.

“I nearly fell off my seat when I heard that. Whose job is it then to make them change? Why are you captain then?,” Ponting told a Cricket Australia website

“If you can’t influence your bowlers on what length to bowl, what are you doing on the field?

“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 also pointed out that England bowlers bowled fuller only when Root had left the field due to groin injury and the captaincy was passed over to Ben Stokes for a brief period.

“The interesting thing for me is the only time they bowled full in the game was when Joe Root wasn’t on the ground,” Ponting said.

“The start of day four when they had a meeting on the ground before play started, Stokes took over the captaincy, and that was the only time in the game they pitched the ball up.”

The third Test of the series will be played in Melbourne from December 26.