Ponting, Hussey and Haddin must get heroic send-offs and retire

Melbourne, Jan.21 (ANI): Cricket journalist Malcolm Conn has said that former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, middle-order batsman Michael Hussey and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin should be given heroic send-offs and be asked to quit before the axe actually falls on them.

"The best thing that can happen to Australian cricket is another misty-eyed mass farewell, this time for Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin. They must be given the same heroes' send-off afforded Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer five years ago so Australia can begin building for next year's Ashes and the 2015 World Cup," Conn writes in his Daily Telegraph article.

He further goes on to say that Chairman of the National Selection Panel (NSP),John Inverarity, must take the responsibility of driving Australian cricket boldly into the future by telling the veterans Adelaide is their last Test.

"If he doesn't, then replacing the conservative Andrew Hilditch, 55, with the even more conservative Inverarity, 67, has been a waste of time and money," Conn says.

He believes that the sweeping reforms of the Argus review have taken Australian cricket in the right direction, but it was only ever going to work if the right people were chosen to fill important positions. (ANI)