Australia coach Tim Nielsen has backed skipper Ricky Ponting after the 2-0 Test series defeat in India.
No panic in Australia camp insists coach
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has received the full backing of coach Tim Nielsen following the team's 2-0 Test series defeat in India.
Former Australia bowler Geoff Lawson called for Ponting to be removed as skipper, while Shane Warne questioned his fielding placements during the second Test match at Bangalore.
"While we haven't had some of the results we would have liked, there's no doubt in my mind, or anybody's mind inside the group that Ricky is the right man to lead the team," Nielsen told Sydney's
Daily Telegraph.
He added: "There is nobody better in Australian cricket or world cricket to lead this side.
"As the captain of this team and the leader of our group, he does a great job in keeping a consistent outlook on things.
"It is certainly not a time to be panicking. I can't think of a better person to be leading a group through a few ups and downs."
Respect
Speaking about the last-gasp one-wicket loss in the first Test, the coach said: "We were probably one ball away from having a great Test match result at Mohali and I wonder if all these things would have been talked about if that was the case."
On the remarks made by Lawson and Warne, Nielsen said he expected past players to pass comment, but believes they need to be more careful with what they say.
"People are entitled to their opinions," Nielsen said. "I don't think we can sit here and expect past players not to talk about us. That's one of the rights they have as one of the 416 who have represented this country.
"You respect that past players have an understanding of what the game entails and how difficult the Test match arena is. I just hope, at times, they take a breath before they talk and have a think about what they maybe felt like under pressure."
