I don't have a lot of sympathy for Ricky really. His field placings are often way too attacking or way too defensive. He seems to be chasing the game all the time, rather than being like Brearley, Taylor or Chappell (I.M) would say: "being a couple of overs ahead of the play". He basically seems to chuck the rock to one of the quicks and says: "work some magic". Rob put it best, the bowlers are having to put in long spells and its partly to do with his captaincy.
My principal issues with Rick are that he doesn't seem that bright at times and he's a sook. He gobs off far too much for an international captain IMHO. He's still a terrific batsman, but needs to drop down the order now.
He's not the biggest problem, however, Andrew Hilditch is. For so many years, we've had a brilliant selection panel, who have brought guys in at the right time, taken a punt occasionally and generally just got things right. Unfortunately, I think they've now lost some of that courage to make a bold move at the selection table. We've need to rebuild the batting line up for a couple of seasons and the selectors have been afraid to do it. With Greg Chappell coming in, there is some hope.
Ponting struggles setting fields because at the moment our bowlers struggle to maintain any sort of consistency. How are you supposed to set a field to Mitchell Johnson- one ball will be a great inswinger, the next will be a wide full toss, the next one will be 4 byes down the leg side, then back to line and length. Did you see him in the last innings of this test? Abysmal. When the pressure is on he folds, just like in the last Ashes. Hauritz is similar. Should Ricky have 5 men around the bat when Hauritz is bowling his flat no-spinners?
Aggressive fields can only work when you can rely on your bowlers to bowl to them. Hilfenhaus and Bollinger are good but they still have a few kinks to iron out.
I think Ponting still suffers from an image that was created years ago. I mean when was the last time he 'gobbed off' about anything? I swear the bloke is on a hiding to nothing on some things. If he gets out and stands his ground for a split second, or says something to an oppostion player he is jumped on for being a bad sport, a whinging loser. But if Steve Waugh did it it would have been just old hard-man Waugh standing up for his country. Ponting hasn't said anything remotely controversial for a long time.
And Rob42, Hussey? Really? The captain needs to be assured of his place in the side. At the moment it would only be Watson, Katich and Ponting in that boat.