Ricky Ponting has an extra spring in his step since being made captain
Plenty has been made of the decision to reinstate Ricky Ponting as captain of the Australian ODI team in the absence of Michael Clarke.
While the views of greats like Steve Waugh make excellent sense, it is my opinion the selectors have made the right call by inviting ‘Punta’ to take the reigns again.
Since the decision was made there is a sense in the camp that Ricky has an extra spring in his step. Already the best trainer within the group, our own 'Little Master' has a sparkle in his eye and it looks like he is really going to enjoy leading the boys here in Sydney.
Despite what a few critics have to say, Ricky's captaincy record is brilliant and his respect and admiration within the group is peerless.
Because of this, it feels right to have him lead the team while Michael recovers from his hamstring strain.
With the extra responsibility, it would be no surprise to see Ricky bat with the same dominance as he did during the Test series this summer. Everyone, except the Sri Lankan and Indian cricket teams, would be happy to see this in the next two games.
Although he was named as vice-captain for the first three one dayers, Dave Warner is also comfortable with the outcome. While he would one day love to captain Australia, he has plenty of time on his side. And, he knows that.
Being named as vice-captain is a tribute to Davie's development over the last 18 months. While he is showing signs of potential leadership capabilities, he is working hard on his batting to ensure he is a consistent contributor at this level and in this form of the game.
It has been my long-held view that one of the most important aspects of captaincy is that the leader is on top of their game and completely comfortable with their position in the team.
The outstanding feature of Michael Clarke's captaincy has been his capacity to outperform with the bat while taking on the extra responsibilities demanded as the leader of the group.
Michael has followed in the footsteps of Australia's former great captains Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, who were all amongst the world's leading batsmen during their tenures as captain.
By scoring runs, one less distraction or pressure is eliminated from the task of successfully captaining any team, let alone the Australian team.
As well as Davie Warner has played this summer, it is important that he continues to learn about his game and develop it to a point where he becomes one of the consistently shining lights within the group.
He is definitely on the right path and in time he may well develop into an Australian cricket captain. At the very least he will continue to grow as a leader whether he has a title or not.
One of the aims of Australian cricket is to develop both titled and untitled leaders inside and outside of the first XI. The more leaders we have the stronger we will be, giving us a greater chance of sustained success over a long period of time.
With leaders like Shane Watson and Brad Haddin out of the team at the moment; the return of Brett Lee and Mike Hussey; the luxury of having a past captain like Ricky Ponting available to lead the group is a perfect example of the need to develop our depth of leadership and talent.
The next two games are important in the scheme of this series and the boys are all excited about the opportunity to secure a finals’ berth.
From Sydney
JL
