Border comes out in favour of Ponting by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

---

Player:	AR Border, RT Ponting
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2009

---

DateLine: 23rd July 2009

 

Former Australian captain Allan Border has thrown his weight behind beleaguered current skipper Ricky Ponting and said that criticism against the skipper are unfair.

 

After failing to win by just one wicket at Cardiff, Australia played some dreadful cricket at Lord's and lost by 115 runs. Ponting since then has been facing criticism of his bowling changes in both the matches.

 

However, Border feels Ponting's captaincy continues to be unfairly maligned.

 

"When Ricky took over with the likes of (Shane) Warne and (Glenn) McGrath, the team wasn't all that different and he kept the ball rolling after Steve Waugh," Border said.

 

"The challenges came for him in 2005 in England when he didn't have a fit McGrath and it became more difficult. I think he's learnt from that and become a really good leader.

 

The boys really like playing for him. That's all you can do, really," he said.

 

Border also said that no matter what a captain is often only as good as his bowlers.

 

"The rest of it is down to what sort of cattle you've got at your disposal and how they're playing. The decisions you make on field are not really rocket science a lot of the time.

 

"It's the environment you create. If you've got a good environment you can get the best out of your players," he was quoted as saying by 'The Australian'.