Ricky Ponting

Ricky Thomas Ponting (born 19 December 1974 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia), nicknamed Punter, is the current captain of the Australian cricket team. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very occasional bowler. He represents the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian domestic cricket and plays in the Indian Premier League with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Ponting made his first-class debut for Tasmania in November 1992, when just 17 years and 337 days old-becoming the youngest Tasmanian to play in a Sheffield Shield match. However he had to wait until 1995 before making his One Day International debut, during a quadrangular tournament in New Zealand in a match against South Africa. His Test debut followed shortly after, when selected for the first Test of the 1995 home series against Sri Lanka in Perth, in which he scored 96. He lost his place in the national team several times in the period before early-1999, due to lack of form and discipline, before becoming One Day International captain in early-2002 and Test captain in early-2004.

After being involved in over 130 Tests and 300 ODIs, Ponting is Australia's leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket, with more than 22,000 international runs. He has scored 39 Test centuries—behind only Indian Sachin Tendulkar (42)—and is the third leading century-maker in ODIs behind Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Early Australian domestic career

Ponting in his batting kit.

After scoring 114 not out in club match against Riverside, Ponting became the youngest player to appear for Tasmania in a Sheffield Shield match, breaking Boon's record by 14 days.^[22] In November 1992, with Ponting just 17 years and 337 days, he strode out to the crease at number four against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval.^[23] Despite scoring 56 in a 127-run partnership with Boon, he could not prevent a defeat, scoring just four in Tasmania's second innings.^[24] In his first match in Tasmania, this time against New South Wales, Ponting contributed 32 and 18 in a draw. He followed this up with 25 against Western Australia in a narrow loss. His first match in Sydney also marked the debut of future Australian opening bowler Glenn McGrath. At the end of the first day's play, Tasmania were 6/200, and Ponting was the only player who resisted, reaching 98 not out.^[24] Ponting reached three figures the next morning, having endured three rain breaks and 54 minutes in the nineties. The century also meant that Ponting has become the youngest Tasmanian to score a first-class century at 18 years and 40 days, eclipsing Boon's record of 19 years and 356 days.

International career

Australia debut

Ponting with Brad Haddin (left) and Nathan Hauritz (right) in Test in Sydney, January 2009

Ponting's domestic performances were rewarded when he was selected for the Australian ODI team to play in the 1995 quadrangular tournament in New Zealand. Ponting made his debut against South Africa, scoring one from six balls. He played in all of Australia's matches, aggregating 80 runs at 40.00, highlighted by a 62 against India in Dunedin, a match that Australia lost. He was selected for the subsequent tour of the West Indies, and although he played in two more ODIs, scoring 43 runs at 21.50, he watched from the dressing room as his teammates reclaimed the Frank Worrell Trophy.^[39][40]

He made his Test debut in the First Test against Sri Lanka in December 1995 at the WACA Ground in Perth, replacing Greg Blewett, who had been dropped because of his struggles against spin bowling in the preceding series against Pakistan. However, due to Steve Waugh's absence through injury, Ponting batted at No. 5. Dismissed lbw to Chaminda Vaas for 96, many argue it was an incorrect decision due to excessive height.^[41] He combined with Stuart Law, also playing on debut, for a partnership of 121. This was only the ninth ever century partnership by debutants in Test cricket.

Ponting added 71 in the Second Test at the MCG and ended his debut Test series with 193 runs at 48.25, which Australia swept 3–0.^[40]

Ponting became a regular member of the ODI team, playing in all of Australia's matches during the triangular series. Ponting started the series at No. 4 but moved up a position midway through the season,^[39] after opener Michael Slater was dropped.

He broke through for his maiden ODI century in his 12th match, scoring 123 from 138 balls against Sri Lanka at the MCG.^[39] Ponting ended the tournament with 341 runs at 34.10, with one century and three fifties.^[39]

Ponting attended the 1996 Cricket World Cup on the Indian subcontinent, where he batted in the No. 3 position, and became the youngest batsman to score a World Cup century, when he scored 102 runs from 112 balls in a group match against the West Indies in Jaipur.^[42] He scored 45 from 73 balls in the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which Australia lost to Sri Lanka. Ponting ended his first World Cup campaign with 229 runs at 32.71.^[39] Another pair of ODI tournaments on the subcontinent in late-1996 yielded 168 runs at 28.00 from seven matches.^[39]

ODI captaincy

Ponting hits to the on side in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Sydney 2006.

Although the Test team had continued to perform well, sweeping South Africa 3–0 in the home series in 2001–02, the One-Day International (ODI) team suffered a slump, failing to qualify for the finals of the triangular tournament, leading to the dropping of Steve Waugh from the one-day team in February 2002. Ponting was elevated to the captaincy, ahead of then vice-captain Adam Gilchrist. The fortunes of the ODI team revived immediately, and the Ponting's men won their first series during the tour of South Africa, defeating the team that had won the tournament that ended Waugh's reign.

The success continued through the 2002–03 ODI series in Australia. However, despite winning the finals series against England 2–0, Australia hit trouble on the personnel front in the lead up to the World Cup. Lehmann was handed a seven-match ban for racial abuse, the world's number 1 ranked ODI batsman Michael Bevan was injured, as was all rounder Shane Watson, who had to withdraw from the World Cup. At the time, another allrounder Andrew Symonds had been performing poorly and had been heavily maligned by cricket analysts, but Ponting strongly advocated his inclusion. The selectors granted Ponting his wish, although the decision was considered highly controversial, especially with Waugh campaigning for his recall as an allrounder.

A few days before the tournament started, Australia were in further turmoil, when leading bowler Shane Warne was sent home after failing a drugs test, and a replacement could not be flown in until after the first match. With Bevan and Lehmann still sidelined, Australia went into their opening match with little choice over their lineup, and Symonds having to play. However, Symonds repaid Ponting's faith with an unbeaten 140 after Australia lost three quick wickets to be in early trouble. Australia crushed Pakistan, and gained further momentum by defeating India by nine wickets in less than half their allotted overs in the next match. Symonds continued to put in a series of match-winning performances and continued to be strongly backed by Ponting from then on.

Notes