Warne and MacGill cricketing geniuses

I feel for Punter as he has been copping it from all angles, and all because he went away from what he does best - attack.

But one of Rick's strengths as a person is to admit when he has made a mistake and I'm sure on the way home he relived every moment of the final Test and every decision he made throughout.

His tactics surprised me - and everyone else - because he is naturally an attacker. The reason he is under pressure is it looked like he put himself in front of the team and this just isn't Punter.

Having played with him for a long time, he was one of the guys that put the team first - always. If it meant throwing his wicket away in the chase for quick runs, he would do that. And there have been previous captains who would not.

I just think he got it wrong this time and I'm sure he will be a better captain for the experience. Let's not hang him. Let's encourage him and support him. I think the Kiwis are going to feel the wrath of the Australian team and, in particular, the skipper next week.

Outspoken leg-spinner Sturat MacGill says a culture of inflexibility has existed in teh Australian team for years over a poor over rate.

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"This is nothing new and I am as guilty as the rest of the bowling group of a culture that exists where we are all very self-assured and refuse to bend to the rules,"

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MacGill said the decision to boost the over rate by bowling Cameron White and Michael Hussey was the wrong one. "I would have loved Australia to go for the jugulr and the win and forget about suspensions," he said.

Having played with him for a long time, he was one of the guys that put the team first - always. If it meant throwing his wicket away in the chase for quick runs, he would do that. And there have been previous captains who would not.

Henry wrote:

Having played with him for a long time, he was one of the guys that put the team first - always. If it meant throwing his wicket away in the chase for quick runs, he would do that. And there have been previous captains who would not.

He still can't resist having a go at Steve Waugh, can he.

Zat wrote:

Henry wrote:

Having played with him for a long time, he was one of the guys that put the team first - always. If it meant throwing his wicket away in the chase for quick runs, he would do that. And there have been previous captains who would not.

He still can't resist having a go at Steve Waugh, can he.

It's a vomit thing. Warney and horace.

Ian Chappell was the biggest influence on my cricketing career and I learnt a lot about captaincy, tactics and the game off him.

Border taught me what it meant to play for Australia and showed me what toughness was. He was brilliant and he never gave up.

Captaincy is about getting the best out of your players and understanding what makes them tick -- when to give them a rocket and when to throw an arm around them and make them feel important.

This comes from understanding your player and which strategy to use. Mark Taylor was an expert at this and was the best captain I played under. He was a great tactician, too.

As a captain, it's not always easy to come to the right decision and get it right all the time, but it's about having a plan and being ahead of the game.

You have to work out what bowlers work best together or who to start with after a break.

This is all done on feel and the state of the game.

You also have to assess when to defend and have a holding period and when to attack.

If you're unsure, it's always better to attack, as Ricky does when he bats - he is the best counter-attacker in the game.

If you have a sniff of victory or blood, that's when the foot goes to the throat and you give it to the opposition.

There is no escape for them when it's 11 against two batsmen and the fielders swarm around like flies.