A contrite John Inverarity played a straight bat yesterday when he named the Australian squad for the next ODIs against India and Sri Lanka.

None of the still-to-be-explained subterfuge over Brad Haddin, telling the keeper he was dropped a month ago, but telling the fans Haddin was being “rested”.

“It’s obviously a very significant announcement because the national selection panel has decided to drop Ricky Ponting from the team. The door is never closed on anybody, but there’s a strong indication.

“He was disappointed and understandably so, but took it on the chin,” chirped Invararity, the chairman of selectors, talking to the media like the headmaster he once was to a school assembly.

Ponting and paceman Mitchell Starc have been dropped for all-rounder Shane Watson, making a welcome return to international cricket after being sidelined for the last three months by a calf injury, and fast bowler Ryan Harris, back on duty after a genuine rotary rest for one game he didn’t want to take.

The Ponting sacking followed the first time in 365 visits to the crease he had posted five successive single-figure scores – 2, 1, 6, 2, 7 – just 18 runs at an average of 3.60, facing a very uncomfortable 66 deliveries.

Very un-Ponting-like.

Twice the former skipper has managed four successive single-figure scores – 4, 6, 1, 1 in 2006, and 1, 1, 1, 5 in 2008.

And in 2000, Ponting had three successive ducks, facing a sum total of 10 deliveries.

At 37 and 63 days, it’s impossible to see Ponting returning to the ODI scene. There’s some far younger talent on the horizon. They won’t be as good as Ponting at his best. Very few have been.

But talent nonetheless.

Maybe this sacking will make Ponting take stock of his Test future. But his five-day stats are vastly different to his ODIs.

Ponting’s last five digs – 60, 134, 7, 221, 60* – amassing 482 runs at an average of 120.50, has him on the plane to the West Indies in April. Unless he pulls the coat in the interim, but I very much doubt it.

Yesterday was an overdue come-clean appearance for Inverarity.

He also confirmed cricket’s worst-kept secret that Matthew Wade is officially Australia’s number one ODI keeper ahead of Haddin.

“But it is the intention of the national selection panel both will tour the West Indies (in April),” was another Inverarity chirp.

Haddin did his Test chances in the Windies more harm at the WACA in the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia by bagging a pair. Like Ponting, runs for Haddin recently have been as scarce as hen’s teeth.

Mention must be made of NSW’s disgraceful performance in that game.

Boasting eight internationals, seven of them Test men – Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, and Trent Copeland, plus a Twenty20 international in skipper Steve O’Keefe – NSW was humiliated by an innings and 323 runs inside three days.

The scoreboard read NSW 91 and 146, at one stage 8-90, Western Australia 3 (dec) for 560, with opener Liam Davis unbeaten on 303, his first not out in 50 first class innings, Adam Voges 178, and Michael Beer 7-46 in the second innings.

Which begs the question: why are so many batsmen throughout Australian having brain explosions so often?

Take the Commonwealth Bank series. In five games, the Australians have scored:

* Single figures – 14.
* Under 20 – 10.
* In the 20s – 4.
* 30s – 7.
* 40s – 3.
* 50s – 4.
* 60s – 3.

And just one in the 70s: David Hussey’s top score of 79.

All up 21 Australian batsmen have had a start, but not one centurion. Far too many brain explosions.