Please retain Ricky Ponting as captain.

Ian Chappell’s expertise is to belittle Steve Waugh: according to him, Ponting’s a better captain than Waugh. Where did that come from, sir?

Earlier Chappell claimed Mark Taylor was a better captain than Steve Waugh. Tomorrow when Michael Clarke is captain, he’ll tell us Clarke’s a better captain than Waugh.

At some point, it’s possible he called brother, Greg a better coach than Waugh. If he knew me, he’d call me a better Indian than Waugh.

Anyway, Chappell’s come to Ponting’s defence, and puts the blame squarely on the Aussie selectors. Here’s what he said -

“If Ponting clamoured for an all-seam attack at The Oval the selectors should have been strong enough and wise enough to advise otherwise.”

Appears the Aussies have learnt little from the series defeats to India, South Africa and now England. Voices like Chappell’s are defiant in their defence for Ponting as skipper.

Sure, retain Ponting as captain. You lost it a long time back. Now here’s to losing it many more times.

Come on pussy come on.

Australia can win it, so can you with a plastic bat and the umpires in your pocket. On a different train of thought, the Aussies have nothing to lose...except for the Ashes. That doesn't make sense but then neither do the Ashes. Btw that's up at Bored Cricket Crazy Indians (BCC!)

Come on Pussy Come on
The Ashes look lost and so are you
Nothing to play for except your thoughts
Where do you go, what do you do?
Come on Pussy come on

Andrew Flintoff – an occasional sense of occasion.

If the headline is gimmicky, it can be argued, but so is Freddie. He looks all earnest because he knows the importance of it.

You can bet he will look his best in his last test innings today. There will be so much purpose around him, you’d think he could broker peace in the Middle East.

Freddie Flintoff will be the man. Today, tomorrow, and if it gets to day after, which it won’t, unless it rains on everyone’s parade.

This is, as the previous test, another abridged one, that should suit Freddie just fine – he is a limited overs player. But that is not the thrust of this piece or Freddie’s world in this test.

The test has just started for Freddie. He has connected to the sense of a moment. The moment was manufactured by Stuart Broad, the Aussies and whoever else could pitch in.

But we are on the threshold of a London Moment. It will be bigger than Lord’s, it will be bigger than the Oval. It will be the shape of Freddie’s fancy.

What picture will he paint? Will he be airbrushed?

Here’s what I expect, Freddie to arrive at the crease, and regardless of whether he scores or doesn’t, the crowds will be at his command. That will be a moment.

If he plunders with the bat, then it will be a savage, almost apocalyptic moment – and Noah will fetch one of Andrew Flintoff for his ark.

But it will be ball in hand that Freddie will emerge Godlike, a larger manifestation for all mortals to see, believe in, myth will be no myth no more.

As Krishna revealed the universe within to Arjun.

Freddie will seize the moment, the day, the night, and all that lies within its grasp, and beyond it.

The ball will cease to be a ball.

It will be, a moment hurled at the Australians.

And not even the Aussies can defy destiny.

It is written here, but only Freddie knows how it will pan out.



Not from the poms or the convicts, read about the Ashes @ Bored Cricket Crazy Indians (BCC!)