Punter v Peter
In Ricky Ponting’s new book, Captain’s Diary 2008 , he explains his frustration at Peter Roebuck’s highly critical column following the Sydney Test
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
In Ricky Ponting’s new book, Captain’s Diary 2008, he explains his frustration at Peter Roebuck’s highly critical column following the Sydney Test. The Sydney Morning Herald has some extracts from the book.
Peter Roebuck … had written a lengthy piece that demanded I be sacked. The message in page one was loud and emphatic: Ponting Must Go. He was scathing in his criticism, which of course he is entitled to be, but to me he was so far over the top it was ridiculous.
It was as if we'd started World War III. He suggested that the entire cricket community was 'disgusted' and 'distressed' by our performance, but that was hardly the feedback I was getting. It was quite extraordinary how, when I walked down the street or stopped for a coffee in the day or two after that story appeared, people would come up and ask, 'What's going on? What's Roebuck on about?'
Ponting also says the players felt angry and totally let down by Cricket Australia over its handling of the Harbhajan Singh racism row.
I guess there was a certain naivety on my part in all of this; next time, I'll want to be just as sure about my convictions as I was this time, but I'll also want to be certain that the game is as committed to justice as I am before I put my reputation, and the reputation of my teammates, on the line.
There is a part of me that says in future I should steer clear of 'cricket politics' … but I don't want to run away from my responsibilities. I couldn't then, and I won't in future. Trust me.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here