Cam Green should just keep things simple in Tests: Ponting on under-performing all-rounder
Melbourne (PTI): The legendry Ricky Pointing has advised tall Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to keep things simple and not over analyse or tinker with his game in order to find the right approach in Tests.
Green, who recently became the costliest overseas buy in IPL history at the mini auction after being purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders for a Rs 25.20 crore, has had an underwhelming Ashes series against England.
While Australia have already clinched the Ashes after winning the first three Tests, Green has scored just 76 runs and picked up two wickets.
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"Apparently, he's a very deep thinker about his own game and likes to tinker with things a lot," former Australia captain Ponting said on the ICC Review.
"But if I had some advice for him, it'd be just keep things as simple as you can, think about what you've done at domestic cricket and take your domestic game to the Test match and back it in for a while," he added.
Green, who made his debut against India five years back in Adelaide, has so far played 35 Tests with the pace-bowling all-rounder taking 37 wickets and chipping in with 1,641 runs at an average of around 33.
With numbers not quite adding up, Ponting believes the 26-year-old Green's contribution is hard to measure at this stage of his career.
"It's actually quite hard to get a gauge on him yet as an international player. He averages under 30 in Australia now. His career averages just over 30.
"He's made two Test match hundreds in 30-odd Test matches. He's had back surgery, and his bowling pace is probably not quite what it was 12 months ago," opined Ponting.
However, the legend sounded quite optimistic about Green, saying the all-rounder's skills do underline his potential in the Baggy Green.
"But there is a very complete package there if it all comes together. And we've seen him play some pretty remarkable innings.
"He made an incredible 100 in New Zealand last year. He's got 100 in India as well, albeit on a very, very flat pitch."
Green scored his maiden Test century in Ahmedabad, scoring 114 after coming in at a tricky situation, while his best effort followed a year later in March 2024, when he hammered an unbeaten 174 in Wellington to guide Australia to a 172-run win.
"Talking to the players, talking to the coaching staff, they absolutely love what he brings to the group, said Ponting.
"The biggest challenge he has is, he's just got to find out the right way and right style for him to play, work out what's going to work for him, and then commit to that and stick to it for a long period of time."
Ponting, however, said that Australia persisting with Green in the ongoing Ashes had impacted the chances of another tall all-rounder Beau Webster.
"But the unfortunate player in this whole Australian summer so far has been Beau Webster. He didn't do much wrong in the games that he played. Certainly, in Australia, in his debut game, he was very good," said Ponting.
"Then had to go to the West Indies, where the wickets were very, very challenging for all batters. And he got undone by a couple of almost unplayable deliveries over there.
"He got injured at the start of the Australian summer and missed a couple of Shield games, which probably didn't help because he didn't get the same sort of run-in and runs under his belt as someone like Labuschagne did. Unfortunately, Beau didn't have that, and as I said, I actually feel a bit for him, and he might be the one that they're thinking about in that No.7 slot as well."
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
