Lawson reckons Aus skipper Ponting needs to win Ashes to save career
Lawson reckons Aus skipper Ponting needs to win Ashes to save career
FORMER Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson feels Ricky Ponting is on the brink of being sacked as skipper following his side's first Test series clean sweep in over 28 years.
India won the series 2-0 with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory in the Bangalore Test earlier this week.
"Ponting needs to win the Ashes to retain his captaincy. He has lost a number of series in a row, and the side has slipped to the fifth position in the Test rankings. He needs to look at captaincy in a positive light - if he continues to avoid reality - he will make the same mistakes when England and Australia lock horns in November," Lawson told MiD DAY.
Ponting is the only Australian captain to lose two Ashes series in England. England under Michael Vaughan broke their 18-year Ashes jinx when they triumphed 2-1 in 2005. The Englishmen won by the same margin in 2009.
However, Australia last lost a home Ashes series in 1986-87 when Mike Gatting's England won the urn.
Lawson, who figured in five Ashes series, reckoned Australia had lost the winning habit - losing close encounters to Pakistan and India in the last few months. "Australia missed Doug Bollinger, but that was no excuse for allowing India to win at Mohali.
The fact that they lost such a close encounter confirms that they are down in confidence. Losing the likes of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist hurts, but Australia need to find a way to win."
The former Pakistan coach tipped his hat off to India, hailing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's outfit as the rightful heir of the No 1 Test ranking. "They deserve to be No 1. I am eagerly looking forward to their tour of South Africa in December. It should be a great contest."
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