Stepping down... Punter primed to hand reigns to Clarke.

It’s official: Ricky Ponting  has just stood down from his role as Australian captain.

It is believed that all the reigns will be handed down to long-time apprentice Michael Clarke who has been groomed for sometime by Cricket Australia.

The news comes after Australia’s unsuccessful World Cup campaign, where Ponting showed signs of frustration despite scoring a brilliant hundred in what could have been his last World Cup game.

“The time was right for me to step down” he said at a press conference at the SCG.

Ponting will continue to play both tests and ODI’s as a batsman regardless of who is appointed captain.

When questioned if his place is now a ‘guarantee’ in the side, Ponting said form was the key.

“There is certainly no guarantee, I’d like to think that (I’m picked on form),” he said.

He has of course already retired from international Twenty20 cricket.

DO you think Ponting’s has made the right choice? Vote in our online poll!

Change... Could Cameron be Australia's White Knight?

Jack-in-the-box of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, came out excusing himself of blame and really Australian Cricket is a joke right now. Something needs to be done to refresh the scene.

A few years back now, a rebuilding South African side named a young man called Graeme Smith captain.

Press around the world hurled abuse at the decision, after all he was only 22 when made skipper. People were saying it depicted such lack of leadership amongst the South African team and all the rest, not different to Australia at the moment.

South Africa were also coming of a terrible bunch of results, embarrassingly failing to make it out of the group stages of a home World Cup in 2003.

But look where they are now. Pushing India for that number one spot in test cricket, full of exceptional players and with a captain who led his country there.

That’s why Australia needs to give the captaincy to Cameron White.

Someone who is fresh, young and has had practice leading one of the most successful Victorian domestic sides ever. Not to mention him being the youngest ever Victorian captain at only 20 years of age.

He’s been given the Australian Twenty20 captaincy and whilst he maybe hasn’t performed as well with the bat, it’s hard to judge a captain purely on such a format of the game.

White is known as a tactician in the domestic scene, not with the sometimes confusing field placings of Ponting and with the willingness to constantly consult with his bowler.

No doubt he’ll need to mature a little more with his batting in tests when concentration is much more important than trying to hit the ball to the fence every delivery.

But he has the stats to prove it.

Averaging just over 42 and having claimed 172 wickets in 113 first class matches, White is the best placed candidate to lead Australia in all formats.

Ponting is all but finished with Khawaja stepping up to number three in the final Ashes tests, and Clarke needs a break from the international games to regain his lost form and work on his technique.

There is no point making a Katich, Hussey or Watson captain if they’re only going to be around for a few years, or do a Kevin Pietersen and just hand it over in two years time.

So please Cricket Australia, give young White a chance, let’s have some faith in him and not treat him like another Nathan Hauritz.

Terry's been shown the door.

Fabio Capello said he wouldn’t rush into a decision, that he would hear John’s side of the story, yet it took all of twelve minutes for him to decide that Mr Terry was no longer going to be England captain under his regime.

It is reported by the Daily Mail UK that the last straw was the hiring out of the Wembley captain’s box by John Terry’s associate Anthony White, an ex-member of the David Beckham foundation.

The new captain incumbent will be Rio Ferdinand, the crocked Manchester United centre-half, with Steven Gerrard as vice-captain, Gerrard looking likely to lead the team out if Ferdinand’s chronic back injury and dip in form continues.

However, John Terry looks set to keep his place in the English XI and Carlo Ancelotti was quoted as saying that this would not affect his choice for the Arsenal match (on Monday morning 2 55 am AEST).

More to follow.

JT... Does he deserve to be captain?

You have to feel for the lad. Literally! (haha)

The man is undergoing some serious questioning under all aspects of his life after his alleged sexual activity with Wayne Bridge’s former lover. And all after receiving a certain ‘Dad of the Year’ award in 2009. Don’t you just love how these things happen exactly the way you want them? The tabloids back home will be going crazy (if they weren’t already).

The amazing issue of the whole situation are rumours that Bridge has offered a ‘me or him’ like ultimatum to Fabio Capello regarding his position in the national team. I mean come on Mr. Bridge; you struggle to make the team anyways! Now all of a sudden, you have the right to decide whether Terry captains the English team or not?

It seems all a bit silly to me. Yes, the captain of the English national team should be a person young (and even old) people should be able to look up to, someone who has good morals and all. But at the end of the day, this guy is being payed to play. Private life is called private for a reason, son.

Okay, fair play if the lad lets the situation get to his mind and his game suffers the consequences, but if he continues to put up decent displays for Chelsea, I can’t see why he shouldn’t continue to be installed as England captain.

Then there’s this whole ‘Team Bridge’ nonsense. I mean seriously. Are these lads fourteen or something? If you’re not sure what I mean, we saw some Man City players reveal under garments with the words ‘Team Bridge’ on them after the Portsmouth game.

One of the players who revealed this shirt was that man again, Carlos Tevez. Does this guy have nothing better to do than create controversy? First it’s; “Fergie didn’t treat me properly!”, then; “Gary has nothing better to do than suck socks!” and now this? Really, Carlos? The guy probably hasn’t even said anything else than ‘good game’ to Terry in his life, and yet he is out with this.

The infamous 'Team Bridge' shirt

Regardless, the important note in this issue is yes, what I can understand the whole ‘back your teammates’ persona, but surely not with such an issue and in such a public arena.

There were reports that a number of players within the City camp refused to wear such words, so it interests me to see how much Bridge actually had a part in this scheme, or if it were simply player-driven.

Regardless, the important note in this issue is yes, what Terry did was not right. If the reports are in fact true, that is. It may appear to you as the reader that I am taking sides with Terry, and perhaps I am, but only on the fact that he should be kept captain of the national squad. Why? As he has shown us that he is able to get on with it (goal vs. Burnley).

So, what would be more important to the English national team four odd months before the World Cup? Terry playing as captain with the backing of his coach and (some) of his players, but, without Wayne Bridge’s availability – OR – Terry, perhaps not even playing, without the backing of the coach and (some) players, but with Bridge’s availability within the team?

Let us know by voting in our February poll of the month.

Terry's been shown the door.

It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to share my views with you, the greater public, and as such I want to draw your attention to an issue that is dominating the sports pages, even the thugby-loving Telegraph having run a full-page story on it. I am of course talking about John Terry and his captaincy for the English national side.

Another thing that should be mentioned is my slight obsession for all things Chelsea Football Club, and typically I believe he should retain his captaincy, though not for the reasons you would think.

Quite simply, he is England’s and possibly the world’s finest centre back and also one of the best captains in the game, comparisons with Bobby Moore himself not uncommon, but more importantly these last few games have demonstrated why he should remain the skipper for the joint favourite team for the World Cup this year.

Against Hull his every touch was booed and yet, he was Chelsea’s finest defender. Carvalho the culprit for slack defending as the visitors lost out at a set-piece for the 15th time this season; JT made a number of crucial interceptions and his usual good distribution from the back was present despite the jeers. He is a man in intense pain as shown by his reaction to the home fans, however he was professional as ever and still near perfect when it came to being on the pitch.

Fabio Capello’s main debate will be whether this will divide the dressing room. However it is not looking likely, a number of England players and Under 21 England coach, Stuart Pearce, are in public support. Some are contemplating whether Bridge would play under Terry ever again, my response to that issue is, does it matter? Taking Bridge to the Cup after his City form would be a major risk; Leighton Baines or Stephen Warnock are equally talented, Baines perhaps more so, and they are getting regular game time so why include a player who is mentally and physically unprepared?

John Terry is worthy of a place in any starting line-up and of any captains armband, his off-pitch life should be private, including the (BREAKING NEWS) AU$7500 payments he has been receiving for use of the Captain’s box at Wembley, as according to the UK Daily Mail, which are strictly prohibited. These indiscretions should result in personal councilling, fines and perhaps a warning that any new offences will be treated as such and result in the stripping of the captaincy.

So yes, I do think that Terry has been imbecilic, but in the same vein can you imagine a 24 year-old who, only last year was sent off for throwing a tantrum (against Fulham, Paul Scholes was also sent off I believe), captaining a country with a true chance of World Cup glory when they are already blessed with Terry?

Once again, I feel honoured to be a part of this new and exciting time for our fine sport; feel free to comment and give your opinions, after all, that is what makes our sport so brilliant!