Allan Border Medal 2009

Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting have tied to win the Allan Border Medal.

I can't believe that.

Actually I can.

Australian cricket has made so many poor choices over the last few months that nothing surprises me anymore.

It should have been Mitch. And not just because he looks good in boardies.

Nathan Bracken was the One Day player and Michael Clarke the Test player.

I want to know who Brett Lee turned up with. It was not me.

But Ponting? Ponting? He has lead us to so many critical defeats, he is jumping ship, he isn't accountable, he's not the Punter he used to be, and the clock is definitely ticking for him.

He should not have accepted it. He should have said "no way man, this isn't cool, I don't deserve this, I've played like shit." Don't encourage the man's mediocrity.

Who's living in the past? Oh, we are.

And Rianna Ponting is too, it would seem. She turned up in a toga.

Thanks to Moses for keeping me posted.

A new Ponting

Cricketers have girl babies and the captain of Australia is no exception.

For years I thought he already had a few girls, but when Mrs P announced she had a bun in the oven, at the AB Medal night back in January, it was revealed the child would be their first.

The captain's firstborn is a girl.

Said child popped out this morning, and they have named her Emmy Charlotte. Emmy Ponting. Pretty enough, but wouldn't Emily or Emma have sufficed? Still. Beats Apple.

When Michael Vaughan's wife had their first child, Talullah, the air force did a flyover during a match, as a salute to the captain's firstborn. Pretentious rubbish that I hope we're spared.

Let's also hope they spare her the indignity of a "welcome to the world" magazine photo shoot.

Congrats, Punter.