Australian cricket must make ruthless decisions about its ageing side in the wake of the team's shattering defeat to South Africa in three days in Cape Town, Australian newspapers said Saturday. South Africa staged one of the great Test comebacks to win by eight wickets after trailing by 188 runs on the first innings, skittling Australia for 47 in their second innings and then cruising to victory on the third day.
While South Africa celebrated an astonishing victory, the Australian press called for action. "Australia's humiliation is complete and the retribution starts now," The Australian said. "Heads will almost certainly roll after a devastating loss in the first Test and it remains to be seen if Mitchell Johnson or Ricky Ponting play the next Test in the wake of the Newlands loss."
The Daily Telegraph's Malcolm Conn singled out former Test skipper Ponting for blame and called for the blooding of new players. "It's time. Ricky Ponting's mortality has caught up with him," Conn wrote. "Some former teammates of Australia's best batsman after Bradman were right to believe that when he retired from the captaincy earlier this year Ponting should have walked away altogether.
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