‘Our performance has been very disappointing’

Game would undergo thorough review of all facets following humiliating 3-1 Test series loss to fierce rivals England.

SYDNEY: Ricky Ponting welcomed an upcoming review of Australian cricket following his side’s Ashes drubbing, saying the whole structure of the game needed to be examined.

Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland said that the game would undergo a thorough review of all facets following the humiliating 3-1 Test series loss to fierce rivals England.

Writing in The Australian newspaper, Ponting said any review needed to go beyond Test cricket and study all levels of the game.

“There is a review after every season, of which I’m always a big part,” wrote Ponting. “It’s going to be a lot more in-depth than I’ve ever been involved in and probably as big as those conducted when Australia was really struggling in the mid-80s.”

The beleaguered captain, who had a miserable series with the bat, said despite Australia’s much-lauded domestic Sheffield Shield competition, the country was not producing enough Test-quality players.

“The performance of the elite team over the past few weeks has been very disappointing. But I think it’s important we look a fair bit deeper than just the last couple of weeks.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2011.