Border urges Ponting to “move to number five’ in batting order to prolong Test career

SYDNEY - Former Australian cricketer Allan Border reckons that struggling captain Ricky Ponting should move down the batting order to prolong his Test career.

Ponting is in the middle of one of the worst form slumps of his career, as his tally in the Ashes series so far is a paltry 113 at an average of 16.14.

The 36-year-old has passed 50 just once in the second innings of the Brisbane Test on a wicket that was tailor-made for batting.

“What I would do is give him a little bit of respite and move him to number five, I think he could play a couple of good years in that role,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Border, as saying.

“Ricky has been phenomenal the way he has played in that hot spot [at first-drop]. I just reckon as captain occasionally you are going to be conceding lots of runs, particularly with the side we’ve got now,”

“And then you have got to come off the field and put the pads on. He just gets no respite,” he added.

Border further insists that the ageing Australian captain must take inspiration from Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

“I personally think at 36 he has done the hard yards, so I think someone else should stick the hand up for that one. Most of the other good players around the globe that are reaching that sort of age - look at Tendulkar, he bats four or five,” Border said. (ANI)