What now?

Where now for Australia? With a poll in the Sydney Morning Herald currently showing 64% of respondents no longer believe that Ricky Ponting is the best man to lead Australia, confidence is at a startlingly low ebb. The bowling attack looks short of confidence and penetration, the batting looks brittle and the fielding decidedly middle-aged, so something clearly has to be done.

According to Australian cricket writer Peter Fitzsimons and, astonishingly, 75% of respondents to another Sydney Morning Herald poll, the solution is to recall Shane Warne and make him captain, an idea that suggests that they have gone past concern and straight into blind panic. The only way for Australia to improve is to look forward – the longer that they look back at the glory years the longer they will struggle. Certainly, Australia need a new spinner and Ponting’s captaincy has been pretty indifferent, but the pace bowlers have been lacklustre as well – following Fitzsimons’ spurious logic then they should be considering a recall for Glenn McGrath as well.

So what will they do? Simon Katich is certainly out so a recall for Phillip Hughes seems likely, especially following Ricky Ponting’s ringing public endorsement. If Hughes can show some of his non-Ashes form and avoid having his technical weaknesses exposed he could add a touch of flair to the top of the order and put the England seamers on the back foot. Xavier Doherty also, surely, must be left out, with the obvious alternative being the recently discarded Nathan Hauritz. Hauritz remains the best spinner in Australia and would also bolster the batting, being more than capable of batting at eight.

Of the others, Marcus North’s days must surely be numbered. He has done nothing in this series to suggest that he is worth his place, and his replacement with Steve Smith, who bats at four for his state, wouldn’t weaken the batting, would provide an extra bowling option and pep up the fielding. As for the seamers, Ryan Harris bowled well in Adelaide with little reward, although he isn’t a test number eight, and Peter Siddle will keep his place on the back of the first innings at Brisbane, but the third seamer is a problem. Having discarded Mitchell Johnson the selectors will be reluctant to return to him so soon, but Doug Bollinger, after a decent start, tired and lost pace, hostility and accuracy as England’s epic innings went on. The selectors may want to re-consider Ben Hilfenhaus, slightly unlucky to lose his place after the first test, or go for a youngster, but it is hard to see them persisting with Doug the Rug.

A word of caution and, possibly, a word of advice for Australia. England were almost as convincingly outplayed at Cardiff eighteen months ago and came back to win the series. Australia need to make changes, but now is not the time for panic. Equally, England should not rest of their laurels, but it is nice that for one it is the Australian selectors who are under the spotlight. It will be fascinating to see what they come up with.