Oz coach, players need to grow up, and perform, says ex-player O'Donnell

Add as a preferred source on Google

Melbourne, Feb.10 (ANI): Former Australian cricketer Simon O'Donnell has said that skipper Ricky Ponting and coach Tim Nielsen need to grow up and start delivering results.

In a scathing assessment, the former Test all-rounder blasted the "ridiculous" decision to rest Ponting and hit out at the leadership and selection structure.

Former Test selector John Benaud, who claimed it was a major tactical error to announce that Ponting would be rested, supported him.

"If you told (former captain) Allan Border to have a spell, he would have put one right on the end of your nose," O'Donnell fumed on 2KY.

"The selectors ought to grow up a bit . . . and tell those fitness blokes who run around in sneakers and tight shorts to get out of the road. The sooner they - whether it's the Australians selectors or Cricket Australia - get rid of some of the coat pullers that go along with the Australian cricket team (the better)," The Australian quoted O'Donnell, as saying.

"When there's a captain, let him do his job. The rest of them, zip their lip and keep out of the road. I thought that was a complete and utter overreaction from people who are having a say in decisions," he added.

Benaud also found it hard to believe.

"It is fair enough to rest players, but you get yourself into trouble when you get too specific and nominate an amount of matches," he said.

ormer Test opening batsman Michael Slater backed O'Donnell.

"For every reason, it was wrong (resting Ponting)," he said.

It has been a tumultuous seven days in Australian cricket with Ponting privately furious at being ordered to rest and with the Simon Katich-Michael Clarke row making headlines.

However, Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland yesterday claimed he was happy with the team's decision-making. (ANI)