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Ponting’s humour failure

By Scott 4 years ago, mid-February Add your comment below

I think Ricky Ponting is an amazing batsman, an astonishing fieldsman, and a so-so captain. Further evidence that he lacks in maturity is his over-reaction to some gentle fun poked by Phil Tufnell during the Allan Border Medal award night on Monday.

Ponting comes from a pretty tough background, and lacks a certain social polish. It’s not easy to know what to do in certain situations, and since I come from a coarse background myself, I can sympathise with Ponting here. And my advice would have been, lighten up, smile, say nothing, and make a note for later on.

It’s the things I never say that never get me into trouble.

I agree with Ponting’s point that an Australian award night might not have been the best place to give an Englishman free reign to gloat. But when you are lumped with this stuff, sometimes you just have to take it.

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9 Responses to “Ponting’s humour failure”

  • thedemigod wrote:
    February 8th, 2006 at 7.56 am

    Talking about tough background and getting a life, Inzamam comes to mind.

    Like Ponting, Inzy lacks social polish desirable in a captain. Here’s an example of his recent rant http://wrongcricket.blogspot.com/2006/02/obstructing-field-dismissal-sporting.html

    I say to them both,lighten up and get on with the game.

  • Chris wrote:
    February 8th, 2006 at 8.05 am

    It’s a strange one this. I would have expected the same sort of attitude you’d get if hit by a bouncer – don’t show any pain, don’t show any weakness.

  • Wraye wrote:
    February 8th, 2006 at 8.28 am

    Thanks Scott, for seeing Tuffer’s comments in the probable light they were given – gentle fun. And of course, we Poms will target the Aussie award night, it might be the last chance we get to gloat for another 20 years ;)
    But it was Tuffers, for God’s sake, not Flintoff or Vaughen – which would have been worse. But Tuffers? Ponting should have laughed his socks off and told him to go back to his grubs, fags and beer (for which I hold Tufs in affection despite getting about 2 with the bat against the Aussies).
    And I also remain bemused by Inzy’s comments. I felt sorry for him first time round against the Harmy delivery and he had a point there but I don’t believe the Indian appeal was against the spirit of cricket, obstructing the field is – this is why it is a legal dismissal. Give the man a copy of Tom Smith’s and another pie, please.

  • Harry R wrote:
    February 8th, 2006 at 9.11 am

    Having put up with a decade of Australians ‘poking gentle fun’ about the cricket/rugby/tennis/swimming/whatever the fuck else, I think it might be your lot’s turn to grin and bear it.

    Ricky Ponting is currently shaping up to be the new David Campese. Like one isn’t enough.

  • S Jagadish wrote:
    February 8th, 2006 at 10.58 am

    Ponting actually said this about Tufnell:
    “But for someone who has never really done anything against Australia in any game he ever played, it was a little bit hard to swallow.”

    Clearly he was sleeping when Tuffers blew away Australia at the Oval in 1997! Bwahahaha … couldn’t chase 124!

  • Stu wrote:
    February 8th, 2006 at 11.23 am

    Here here – very poor by Ponting. Phil Tufnell is a very funny bloke. What also hasn’t been mentioned is, that this was staged, and Glenn McGrath was supposed to be their, with some pre-arranged responses – clearly he couldn’t make it. Ponting should know this, and lighten up!!

    Great batsman, great fielder – sook!

  • Zainub wrote:
    February 8th, 2006 at 2.32 pm

    Phil Tufnell appeared in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, you’re never ever suppose to take such people seriously. Golden rule, missed by Ponting.

  • SpryCorpse wrote:
    February 9th, 2006 at 3.09 am

    Neatly summed up, Scott.
    I think Ponting’s reaction was not sookiness, but more that Tuffnell’s remarks hit too close to home. The Aussies probably **have** been losing sleep about various incidents during the Ashes. But they shouldn’t be. They were simply outplayed overall.
    So, yes, he definitely would have been better off keeping his trap shut on this one.
    In general I’ve been quite impressed with Ponting’s captaincy both on the field and off. A couple of well-publicised errors of judgment (like this one) should just be part of his learning curve.

  • harry wrote:
    February 14th, 2006 at 8.14 am

    take a look at his catch from tonight.

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