The absence of rational thought

Mike Coward in the Weekend Australian gives his thoughts on Peter Roebuck’s call for Ricky Ponting to be sacked.

The most disturbing aspect of this sorry saga has been the absence of rational thought. The customarily temperate have been intemperate and so the issue has broadened to encompass nationalism and social and moral mores. The game has not been strong enough to prevent it from running out of control. Most irrational and damaging of all was the call for the axing of Ponting as captain at a time when it is widely acknowledged that he is maturing into a leader of some stature who can be compared favourably with renowned predecessors.

But Roebuck sticks by his argument in the Sydney Morning Herald and suggests Simon Katich and Brett Lee as a leadership team to succeed Ponting.

Robert Craddock, meanwhile, uses his Daily Telegraph column to paint a grim picture of the upcoming third Test.

Tension as thick as Kolkata's pollution haze will engulf Perth next week. At the first sign of trouble old wounds will be salted. The bottom line is the two sides don't like or trust each other and no amount of lecturing can change it.

The weekend newspapers allow plenty of space for analysis of Sydney. Tim Lane writes in the Age that cricket’s bosses treat the players and fans like fools, while in the same paper Brendan McArdle looks at some of Ricky Ponting’s shortcomings.

Paul Marsh, also in the Age, defends Australia’s players, Philip Derriman writes in the Sydney Morning Herald that sledging is hitting new lows at junior levels, and the same paper’s New Delhi correspondent Matt Wade reflects on being an Australian in India during the past week.