SOD blasts Nielsen and selectors

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25030561-23209,00.html

AUSTRALIA skipper Ricky Ponting has been urged to take control of his wobbling team as Simon O'Donnell told selectors to "grow up" and coach Tim Nielsen to "pull your head in".

In a scathing assessment, former Test all-rounder O'Donnell blasted the "ridiculous" decision to rest Ponting and hit out at the leadership and selection structure.

O'Donnell insists too many cooks are spoiling the broth and has lashed the "coat pullers" in Australian cricket.

He was supported by former Test selector John Benaud, who claimed it was a major tactical error to announce that Ponting would be rested.

Ponting never wanted to be stood down from the ODI series and the decision was overturned with Australia 2-0 down before their win against the Kiwis at the SCG on Sunday.

"If you told (former captain) Allan Border to have a spell, he would have put one right on the end of your nose," O'Donnell fumed on 2KY.

"The selectors ought to grow up a bit ... and tell those fitness blokes who run around in sneakers and tight shorts to get out of the road.

"The sooner they - whether it's the Australians selectors or Cricket Australia - get rid of some of the coat pullers that go along with the Australian cricket team (the better).

"When there's a captain, let him do his job. The rest of them, zip their lip and keep out of the road. I thought that was a complete and utter overreaction from people who are having a say in decisions.

"There is a percentage of those decisions that Tim Nielsen should pull his head in as well."

Former Test opening batsman Michael Slater backed O'Donnell.

"For every reason, it was wrong (resting Ponting)," he said.

Benaud also found it hard to believe.

"It is fair enough to rest players, but you get yourself into trouble when you get too specific and nominate an amount of matches," he said.

It has been a tumultuous seven days in Australian cricket with Ponting privately furious at being ordered to rest and with the Simon Katich-Michael Clarke row making headlines.

The latest dramas bring some of the shambolic decisions by selectors and team leaders this summer even more sharply into focus.

However, Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland claimed he was happy with the team's decision-making.

"There's no perfect answer ... but we're very comfortable with the process they're going through and how they're (making) decisions."

sutherland and hildy alwys sound like they are auditioning for jobs in the ECB

Ponting has a rest every year

Ponting has a stuffed wrist ...a rest should do that some good

However ....

We were on a losing streak and Punter was just about our only batsman with some form

He DIDN'T want to be rested

They rushed him back anyway

Conspiracy theorists may ask why did the Clarke vs Katich story "broke" when Punter was away and his 2IC was in control