The future of Australia's captaincy has generated plenty of newspaper copy in an otherwise quiet December, despite the fact Ricky Ponting is nowhere near retirement. In the Courier-Mail Ben Dorries explains how after Michael Clarke was dropped from the Australia team a pig-hunting trip with Andrew Symonds helped him to regain his focus.

"We were chasing a pig through cane and Symo had his footy shorts on, a singlet, a pair of joggers and a knife. I had a $400 pair of jeans and brand new shoes. It was pouring down with rain one of those nights and I had mud up to my knees and I'm trying to chase the pig." The getaway refreshed Clarke's mind and he won back his baggy green cap and showed he was ready for extra responsibility during the Ashes last summer.

In the same paper Jon Pierik compares Clarke's promotion to previous Australian captaincy succession plans. Peter Lalor, writing in the Australian, wonders if in the future Ponting might give away Twenty20 cricket and leave Clarke permanently in charge.

Australia's future leadership might appear sound but their spin prospects remain an issue. On the radio station 2KY Kerry O'Keeffe ranked the top five spinners in Australia and the Cricket Australia-contracted Cullen Bailey did not make his list.

The fast-bowling stocks are more promising, however, and in the Age Lyall Johnson profiles the Australian Cricketers Association's latest Player of the Month, Doug Bollinger.