Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting

Source: [9], 28 December 2006

Ricky Thomas Ponting (born 19 December, 1974, in Launceston, Tasmania) is an Australian cricketer and current captain of the Australian cricket team (for both One-day International and Test cricket). Ricky Ponting is also Captain of the Tasmanian Tigers, although international duties make it difficult for him to appear for them. He is a specialist right-hand batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as being a very occasional right-arm medium pacer. Ponting reached international standards at a young age for a batsman, making his ODI debut in early 1995 before making his Test debut at the end of the year, before turning 21. He overcame multiple sackings due to lack of form and ill discipline to rise to the ODI captaincy in early 2002, before becoming Test captain in early 2004. He is currently the highest ranked Test batsman in the ICC ratings.

Key achievements

Ponting is the world's top-ranked batsman in Test cricket, and is ranked 7th in One-day Internationals. He is the only cricketer to have twice scored more than 1500 runs in Test matches in a calendar year (2003 and 2005) and on 3 December 2006 overtook Steve Waugh as the leading Australian and 4th-ranked all-time with 33 Test centuries, two behind world leader Sachin Tendulkar. He has scored over 9000 Test runs at an average near 60, but since the February 2002 tour of South Africa (when he was elevated to the ODI team captaincy) he has scored 24 of his Test centuries and averaged above 74, leading to comparisons with Sir Donald Bradman.

Ponting is also Australia's leading ODI run-scorer and century maker, having surpassed records previously held by Mark Waugh. His century against the West Indies in Jaipur at the 1996 Cricket World Cup made him the youngest ever World Cup centurion, and his unbeaten 140 against India in the 2003 Cricket World Cup final was the highest by a captain in a World Cup final.

Ricky Ponting's career performance graph as of 2006-04-24.

Like many Australian batsmen, Ricky Ponting is particularly strong against pace bowling, with the full array of back foot shots, including the pull, hook, and square cut. Early on, he was regarded as a near-compulsive hooker, but he has latterly moderated this tendency. He tends to move across his off stump, and has therefore been regarded as vulnerable to LBW early in his innings. He is less adept against spin bowling, particularly on very helpful spinning pitches such as those in India where his average is just 12.28.

After his first 30 Tests in just under four years his average was 38.62, and after rising into the mid-40s had dipped again to 40.50 after 45 Tests. Since that time his average has consistently risen; his averages in recent calendar years are 70.93 in 2002, 100.20 in 2003, 41.00 in 2004, 67.13 in 2005 and 104.08 in 2006 (as at 5 December 2006).

Ponting occasionally bowls medium pace, and has also experimented with off-spin. He is an outstanding fielder square of the wicket or at silly point (see also Fielding (cricket)), with brilliant reactions and hand-eye coordination and (especially in the one-day game) a reputation for hitting the stumps to run out opposition batsmen.

Career Summary

Early years

The nephew of Tasmanian Test cricketer and fast bowler Greg Campbell, Ponting attracted attention at an early age. Nicknamed Punter for his love of horse-racing, he left school at the end of year 10 to attend the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide. After impressing head coach Rod Marsh, Ponting made his Sheffield Shield debut at the age of just 17, in the 1992/93 season. He was immediately producitve, scoring 782 runs at 46 for the season. He was the youngest Tasmanian to score a first-class century, and the youngest to score centuries in each innings of a match on Australian soil. This put him in contention for selection for the 1993 Ashes tour, and despite being overlooked, he continued his heavy scoring in his second domestic season, scoring 965 at 48.25 to propel the Tasmanians into the Shield final. His form the following year in 1994/95 saw him selected in the Australian XI to play in a four-day match against England, as well as selection for Australia A in the ODI tournament.

International career begins

Ponting's domestic performances were rewarded when he was selected for the Australian ODI team to play in a quadrangular tournament in New Zealand in early 1995. He played in all of Australia's matches, aggregating 80 runs at 40, highlighted by a 62 against India in Dunedin. He was selected for the subsequent tour of the West Indies, and although he played in two more ODIs, he watched from the dressing room as his teammates reclaimed the Frank Worrell Trophy.

He made his Test debut in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka in December 1995 at Perth, replacing Greg Blewett although due to Steve Waugh's absence through injury Ponting batted at 5. He was out for 96, lbw to Chaminda Vaas. He also featured that season in the ODI team, and attended the 1996 Cricket World Cup, where he batted in the No.3 position, and became the youngest batsman to score a World Cup century, when he achieved the feat in a group match against the West Indies.

With the retirement of fellow Tasmanian David Boon, Ponting was elevated to the No.3 position in the Test team for the series against the West Indies in 1996-97 in Australia. After two Test matches and three scores under 10, he was replaced by Justin Langer and was out of the team for six months. Returning at Leeds in July 1997 he scored his first Test century (127, batting at No.6) but in 1998-99 again failed to hold his place consistently, being dropped in favour of Darren Lehmann on the tour of Pakistan and again in the home series against England. He had played 22 Tests at the end of 1998, with 1209 runs at an average of 36.63. He was a permanent fixture in the ODI team throughout this period.

Test career consolidates

File:Ponting.jpg

Ricky Ponting

Ponting was in the squad for the 1999 tour of the West Indies, and scored 104 batting at No.6 when recalled to the starting XI for the 3rd Test. Injury aside (he missed a tour of New Zealand after hurting his ankle in a fielding mishap in a ODI Final at Sydney), his position was now secure in spite of a run of poor form in 2001 - this included 17 runs at an average of 3.4 in three Tests in India, dismissed all five times by Harbhajan Singh. Once again, he returned to form at Leeds, scoring 144 and 72 batting at No.3 in place of the dropped Justin Langer. Starting with that 2001 Ashes series he has batted No.3 in all but four of his Test innings.

In late 2003, Ponting scored double-centuries in back-to-back Tests against India, at Adelaide (242) and at Melbourne (257, his career high). Having also scored 206 at Port-of-Spainearlier in the year, he became only the second player (Sir Donald Bradman the other) to hit three double-centuries in a calendar year.

ODI Captaincy

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 and Ponting led his team to a dominant, undefeated, performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. The Final, in which India were defeated by a record (for World Cup Final matches) 125 runs, featured Ponting's brilliant 140 from 121 balls.

On 12 March 2006, Ponting scored 164 in only 105 balls in a ODI against South Africa in Johannesburg, as Australia made a record total of 434 for 4, only to be beaten by South Africa's 438 for 9. At the end of the match Ponting was jointly awarded Man of the Match with Herschelle Gibbs.

Ponting has captained Australia 130 times in ODIs for 99 wins and two ties. He is expected to lead the team in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Test Captaincy

After Steve Waugh's retirement at the beginning of 2004, Ponting assumed the Test captaincy. Since 1997 the Australian team has not always had the same captain for Tests and for ODIs, with Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh being dropped from the ODI team whilst still the Test captain. Ponting is expected to hold his place in both teams for several years to come.

Prior to the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia, Ponting's captaincy record was 22 wins from 30 matches, a better ratio of success than any previous Australian captain with more than 10 matches captained (Warwick Armstrong won 8 of 10). He is now fourth (behind Steve Waugh with 41, Allan Border with 32 and Mark Taylor with 26) for total wins by Australian captains. He is eighth for wins amongst all Test captains (record also held by Waugh).

2005 Ashes Series

Australia were defeated by England 2 wins to 1 having started the series as favourites. Ponting thus became the first Australian captain since Allan Border in 1985 to fail to defend The Ashes. The 2005 series was widely hailed as one of the best ever Test series, but Ponting faced significant criticism afterwards and his tenure as captain was questioned. In his defence, Ponting said that Australia had simply been outplayed and had not stepped up at crucial moments in the matches. He rejected suggestions that Shane Warne should be captain in his stead.

Main article: The 2005 Ashes

The series had begun with a big win to Australia at Lord's, but at Edgbaston in the pre-match warmup for the 2nd Test an accidental injury to Glenn McGrath proved a turning point. With McGrath missing from the bowling lineup, England posted a big first innings total and won the 2nd Test (by 2 runs after a near-successful run chase by bowlers Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz). England had the upper hand throughout the 3rd Test at Old Trafford, where Australia needed to bat through the last day to save a draw. Ponting scored 156, the first Australian century of the series, and was dismissed only four overs from the end of the day. In the 4th Test, at Trent Bridge, Australia again batted poorly, being forced to follow-on, and in the second innings Ponting (on a score of 48) was dismissed Run Out by a substitute fielder (Gary Pratt). Ponting reacted angrily, directing a tirade at the English support team in the pavilion concerning the liberal use of substitutes; he was later fined by the match referee. Australia went on to lose this match, in spite of a spirited fightback with the ball on the last day, and when the weather-affected 5th Test at The Oval was drawn the Ashes were officially lost.

2006 Ashes Series

The setback to Australia, and to Ponting as Australian captain, was to prove a strong motivation for the Australian camp to improve their standards and overcome any complacency that may have arisen from Australia's being the world's premier cricketing nation for a decade or so. In November 2006, the England cricket team again took on Australia in the first test of a five test series that was widely expected to be a tremendous contest between Australia, the top team on the world cricket rankings, and the England team, whose aggregated results over the last few years had it standing second in the rankings. Despite Australia this time having the advantage of playing on its own soil, the England team that had wrested the Ashes from the Australians was expected to be highly competitive.

Ponting top-scored in Australia's first innings with 196 runs, and he followed this up with 60 not out in the second 'dig'. It was as if Ponting had resolutely determined the fate of the match on his own. His opposing captain, Andrew ("Freddie") Flintoff scored a duck and 16, though he made a brave contribution with the ball in Australia's first innings. The battle between the captains was mirrored by the performance of the teams, and Australia won the game comfortably, by 277 runs.

In Adelaide, England scored what seemed a massive 551 for 6 declared. Again Ponting led from the front, top-scoring for his team with 142, and helping Australia to a total of 513. Despite protestations by members of the England team that the Australian bowling held no fears for them, England capitulated miserably in their second innings, scoring only 129, giving Australia a target of 168 runs in 36 overs. Australia contemptuously scored the runs with six wickets and three overs to spare.

It was now 2-0 to Australia, and only mathematical possibility suggested that England had any chance of retaining the Ashes. History suggested otherwise, with no team having come back to beat Australia from such a deficit. And beyond statistics and history, in the real world, Ponting was leading a team whose superiority to the increasingly demoralised England team was increasingly evident.

The third test played at the WACA ground in Perth went the same way, a win to Australia, this time by 206 runs. At 3-0, the Ashes had been won back by Australia. The 15 months they had been in English hands was the shortest period either nation had held the coveted urn before ceding it to their opposition. Ponting, whose captaincy some had criticised, was now the triumphant victor who brought the Ashes back.

Those who had bought tickets to the Melbourne and Sydney tests hoping that these would represent the climax of a tense series could only hope that the cricket would at least be enjoyable. And so it was in Melbourne, at least for Australian fans who didn't mind observing another comprehensive thrashing of the old enemy. Australia, this time, by an innings and 99 runs. Those who bought tickets for the fourth day of a test match scheduled for five days didn't need to turn up. It was over within three days.

In Sydney, Ponting's team became the second team (after Warwick Armstrong's Australian team in 1920-21) to win an Ashes series 5-0, and that against what had been thought to be a formidable enemy, the second strongest cricketing team in the world. Under Ponting's leadership, the Australians have won (to date) their last 12 consecutive Test matches, the second-longest winning streak on record; the longest winning streak is of 16 games by Australia, under the captaincy of Steve Waugh.

Ponting has thus proven himself one of the most successful of all Australian captains, by any measure. Sport does not allow its protagonists to exult in their victories for long, however, and with the retirement of key players in his champion team (Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, and Justin Langer retiring during or at the end of the 2006/7 Ashes series), Ponting will have his skills as captain tested in the attempt to build a team of worthy successors to that which has held ascendancy in international cricket for so long.

Recent Batting Form

Following the disappointment in England, Ponting retained the captaincy and began a rich run of batting form. In the 2005-06 season, he scored a century in both innings of a Test match three times, and became the first player to score a century in each innings of his 100th Test match. He is the only the second player (after Sunil Gavaskar) to score centuries in both innings of a Test match 3 times, and the first to do so in a single season. Across 12 matches in Australia, South Africa and Bangladesh in that season, Ponting scored 1483 runs at an average of 78.05 with 8 centuries.

He began the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia with scores of 196 and 60 not out at Brisbane and 142 and 49 at Adelaide. These two centuries took him past Steve Waugh for the Australian record for Test centuries and raised his career average above 60, taking his calendar-year-to-date average to 104.08. He was 539 runs behind the new calendar year record established on 30 November 2006 by Mohammad Yousuf with a maximum of four more Test innings available to him for the year.

Controversies

• Ponting was involved in a fight outside a pub in Kings Cross, New South Wales in early 1999, and earned a suspension from the national team. [10]

• During the 4th Test of the 2005 Ashes series, at Trent Bridge, Ponting was angrily outspoken about the use of substitute fielders by the England side, particularly after being run out by such a substitute. He directed an abusive tirade at the England dressing room and was subsequently fined 75% of his match fee. [11]

After England won the match to take a 2-1 lead in the series Ponting returned to the subject of substitutes in an interview with Australian radio "I think it's an absolute disgrace the spirit of the game is being treated like that. It is within the rules; it's just not within the spirit of the game" he said. The England coach Duncan Fletcher later commented on this incident: "He [Ponting] completely blew his top. I did not actually think it at the time but, looking back now, that might be the moment when it became clear that England were going to regain the Ashes." [12]

• In 2006 he began using cricket bats with a graphite covering over the wooden blade of the bat. This covering was ruled by the MCC to have contravened Law 6.1, which states that bats have to be made of wood, although they may be "covered with material for protection, strengthening or repair not likely to cause unacceptable damage to the ball". Ponting and his bat supplier, Kookaburra Sport, agreed to comply.

• Ponting has been fined for dissent on more than one occasion. [13]

Endorsements

• He is seen in a television advertisement for a deodorant and anti-perspirant product (Unilever's Rexona). He has to face an immense amount of bowlers and finishes with no marks or perspiration. Ponting then subsequently loses a bet and is forced to walk down the street in public wearing an oversized deoderant can. Ponting has appeared in many humourous adverts for Rexona with New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming.

• Ponting has also appeared in promotional advertisements for National Food Limited's Pura Milk, Medibank Private, Victoria Bitter, KFC and Weet-Bix. To promote the 2005 Ashes he did an ad for KFC. Ponting and former cricketers Steve and Mark Waugh are eating at a KFC restaraunt whilst a promotion for a free ticket to England is running. Ponting beats the brothers and wins the ticket by having the winning bottle top. Ponting obviously doesn’t need the ticket and gives the bottle top to a young KFC diner much to the disappointment of the Waugh brothers.

• He was the face of Atari's Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2005 and will reprise his role for the 2007 version.

Awards

• Ponting is the reigning ICC Test Player of the Year and ICC Player of the Year, and Allan Border Medal winner (for the most outstanding Australian cricketer of the past season). He is the only player to have won this award twice. At the 2006 ICC Awards he was named in the World Team of the Year for both Tests and ODIs.

• In 2004, Ponting was named Leading Cricketer in the World by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. However, he had to wait until 2006 before he achieved the honour of being one of the Five Cricketers of the Year for 2005.

• Prior to the 2005-06 Ashes series, Ponting had earned 12 "Man of the Match" awards in 105 Tests; he also had 22 such awards in 261 One-day Internationals (including the joint award which he had declined from the Johannesburg match).

Personal life

• With the now-large financial rewards of international cricket, Ponting is a full-time professional cricketer, although he is involved with Stride Sports, a sports management business which is well-known for managing some of the biggest names in the AFL - including Glenn Archer and Cameron Mooney. A well-known off-field interest of Ponting's is betting on horse and greyhound races, revealed by his nickname, "Punter".

• Ponting is a talented golfer, playing off a handicap of between scratch and three.

• Ricky married his long-time girlfriend, law student Rianna Cantor, in June 2002. He has himself credited her as a reason for the maturity evident in his game in recent years.

• Ponting is a keen supporter - and number one ticket holder - of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Books

Authored or co-authored

• Captain's Diary (HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 2007) ISBN 0-7322-8153-9
• Ashes Diary by Ricky Ponting and Brian Murgatroyd (HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 2005) ISBN 0-7322-8152-0
• Ricky Ponting's World Cup Diary by Ricky Ponting and Brian Murgatroyd (HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 2004) ISBN 0-7322-7847-3
• Ricky Ponting by Ricky Ponting and Peter Staples (Ironbark Press, 1998) ISBN 0-330-36117-1

External links

• Cricket-Online Player Profile - Ricky Ponting
• Cricinfo Player Profile : Ricky Thomas Ponting
• Ricky Ponting Short Online Profile