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Unless you're an England backer or fan, you'll agree that Australia's fight-back in the Third Test was a much-needed one in order to keep this series alive and exciting.

It did of course have another very important consequence: Ricky Ponting will remain as captain until the end of the series. He may miss the next Test through injury but that's a sub-story to the main plot. Whether he takes to the field or not, he's the skipper.

I don't really understand why this issue was up for debate. Even if England had won in Perth, the very least "Punter" deserved would be a chance of redemption in the last two matches. And if England had wrapped up the series before Sydney, Ponting would have resigned or been relieved of his duties at the end of the series and the ACB would then have been in a position to decide whether he was the man to lead them into the World Cup or give someone else a go. To replace him mid-Ashes would have been suicidal - right up there with giving Luke Beer a game or James Anderson inviting Mitchell Johnson to sort out their differences away from umpires and other peacemakers.

A new captain should be given some breathing space to clear his head, talk to selectors and build a strong relationship with the coach. What he doesn't need is to take over mid-series when there is no time to do any of these things and the media won't leave you alone. Especially when the series is already lost. Above all when it's the Ashes.

It's more likely than not that Australia won't lose the series - the home side are 2.62 to win it, England are 3.05 to emerge victorious and the drawn series is 3.25. An Aussie victory or even a drawn series should mean Ponting stays in his role for the World Cup, which the Aussies have won twice under his captaincy, and which he won as a player back in 1999. At 6.0 they're the second-favourites to triumph and whilst they've struggled to come to terms with T20 since its inception, the relative ease with which they won last year's Champions Trophy suggests that they still call the shots in the 50 over format.

My gut instinct is that Ponting will decide he's had enough of international captaincy after the World Cup, irrespective of the result. Whether he stays on as a batsman or not remains to be seen. When Steve Waugh was relieved of his duties he was also retired as an international batsman and this was done with the sort of ruthlessness and lack of sentiment you'd expect from Sir Alan Sugar with an Apprentice who'd just cost him a million. That said, Australia don't have such talent as Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds waiting in the wings to fill that middle-order so may think twice before deciding Ponting's runs aren't needed.

Why exactly Clarke was seen as Ponting's natural successor ever since he broke into the team is something I've never really understood. The Aussie selectors like their captains to be uncomplicated, hard-nosed batsmen. Guys who would bite into a can of XXX, drink it in one go and use the remainder of the 'tinnie' alongside some spit and rainwater to have a shave. Clarke, with his arm full of self-indulgent tattoos, endless list of endorsement deals and very public lovelife doesn't fit the profile and the ACB are beginning to realise this. If it's a batsman we're narrowing it down to, who ticks the most boxes?

Shane Watson can be discounted straight up because he has too much on his plate as an opener who also has a job to do with the ball; he's also not popular with the Australian public who consider him brash and vain. Mike Hussey has the experience and the respect of his team-mates but the captaincy isn't for him. Much like Jacques Kallis, Shivnarin Chanderpaul or Graeme Thorpe, Hussey sees his contribution to the team as directly proportional to the runs he contributes. He's there to bat and do so for long periods; fielding changes, diplomacy, team selection and leadership is for others to worry about.

That leaves us with Brad Haddin. Having waited six long years in between making his debut for Australia and being told he was Adam Gilchrist's long-term successor, he's not about to pack it in anytime soon despite being the wrong side of 30. Fit as a fiddle and one of the few players guaranteed his spot when the next Test series comes about, he's the man for the job, not least because he's had experience of leading Australia at Under-19 level and New South Wales. How much of a say 'Punter' will have on the appointment is up for debate but if his opinion is considered, Haddin is the safest and best value bet.


By Jamie Pacheco

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