Chappell brothers at loggerhead over Ponting’s captaincy

Melbourne (IANS) Australia’s Chappell brothers, Ian and Greg, are at loggerhead over Ricky Ponting’s captaincy.

While Ian feels Ponting’s captaincy is ‘hurting’ the Australian team, Greg, currently a selector in Cricket Australia, wants him to continue for another couple of years.

‘(Mitchell) Johnson’s epic resurgence should not camouflage the fact that Ponting’s captaincy has started to hurt the Australian team,’ Ian wrote in his column in Cricinfo.

‘In what appears to be an attempt to prove the critics wrong, Ponting has become impatient for success and his constant changes to the field placings only served to distract the bowlers from their task,’ he added.

‘He looks like a captain trying too hard to prove he is worthy, rather than a steady one with a firm grip on the levers.’

Greg, however, thinks there is no one in the current side who can replace Ponting.

‘If we are going to replace Ricky, we have got to make sure we have got someone that we are confident with and has the right frame of mind. Someone who can take over and do a good job,’ Greg told Channel Nine.

‘And I do not know that we have got somebody that we feel we want to rush Ponting out the door at this moment. There is nobody absolutely ready for it and I do not think there are too many other players too who I would like to put the pressure on.’