A flabbergasted Ricky Ponting says Cricket Australia (CA) needs to remember the sport’s fortunes rest with the strength of the national team rather than the success of the domestic Twenty20 competition.
Ponting was scathing of CA’s high-profile marketing campaign for the Big Bash League in the wake of Australia’s 347-run loss at Lord’s in the second Ashes Test.
As England celebrated a 2-0 series lead, a flurry of media releases trumpeting BBL signings landed in inboxes and Michael Hussey emerged from a helicopter at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium to promote his signing for the Thunder.
“I was flabbergasted when Cricket Australia put out a statement on Sunday night promoting the success of the Big Bash Twenty20 league because the timing, coming so soon after that heavy defeat at Lords, was not ideal,” Ponting wrote in his column in the Daily Mail.
“Cricket Australia is a business and they have invested a lot of time in the Big Bash while cuts have been made in first-class cricket.
“I can see what they were trying to do with that statement but we must remember that the strength of this business will be measured by the success of the national team.”
Ponting isn’t the only former Australian captain to be frustrated by the current team’s performance.
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Former captain Allan Border had a swipe at the top-order batsmen.
“Our major concern right now is the performance of the top six,” said Border, who played 156 Test matches for Australia and captained the side 93 times .
“Watching, I could honestly say the nine, 10 and (11) jack looked more competent than our one, two and three.
“If that was me in the top three I’d be embarrassed.”
