Ponting pays in Warne's absence, in dollars
Posted on Dec 03, 2008 at 21:35 | Updated Dec 04, 2008 at 10:56
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Melbourne: Ricky Ponting's over-rate woes after spin wizard Shane Warne's retirement have cost the Australian cricket team a hefty $130,000 in fines so far.
Investigations conducted by the Daily Telegraph found that the skipper himself has had to cough up $23,200 to the International Cricket Council after getting fined in five of the 16 Tests that he has played following Warne's retirement, one of the worst record in world cricket so far.
Ponting now is level with South Africa's Graeme Smith as the most penalised captain (15) since 2003.
The report claims Cricket Australia has become so fed up with the violations that it might push for on-field penalties.
CA chief James Sutherland is so incensed by Ponting's slow play that he is planning to use a CEO meeting in South Africa next week to urge the ICC to replace fines with real-time punishments such as losing fielders for slow play.
"I don't think the sanctions that are in place are having the desired effect," Sutherland said.
"No one likes getting slugged a fine and in the worst case, captains can get suspended as well. But I would like to think there is something that can happen in a more immediate sense inside of a match that has a greater team impact that could produce a better result," he said.
After being fined 23 times in the last 15 years for slow over rate, this year alone Australia have been penalised six times which cost the team $130,000 in match fee.
However, much of the problem seems to have occurred after Warne's retirement. In the 145 Tests between Warne's debut in 1992 and his retirement last year, Australia were fined just nine times.
The leg-spinner's ability to bowl some quick overs has been sorely missed by Ponting, who in a bid to fill the gap has been forced to use part-time bowlers.
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Posted By ganeshkumarhyd
Australian players, instead of wasting their time in passing silly comments on the batsmen, should concentrate more on their bowling.
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