Ricky Ponting Archives

Ricky Ponting leaves Virat Kohli out of ‘best of the generation’ debate

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has left Virat Kohli out of the ‘Fab Four,’ which includes the best players of modern cricket, including Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.

Kohli has been under fire recently due to his disappointing performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

While he did score a century in the first Test, which India won in Perth, he posted a series of low scores and managed a total of 190 runs in the five-match series.

Steve Smith is currently in great form, having scored 141 runs in the first Test against Sri Lanka. This was his third century in the last four matches.

During the 141-run knock against Sri Lanka, Smith also completed his 10,000 runs in Test cricket, becoming the fourth Australian cricketer to do so.

Ricky Ponting heaped high praise on his compatriot, rating him as the “best player of his generation.”

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“Is he [Steve Smith] the best player of his generation? It’s hard to argue against it,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting as saying.

“Joe Root is the other one now, and [Kane] Williamson’s record is outstanding as well. Joe’s last couple of years have elevated him right back up there, I think.”

Ponting mentioned that Kohli was at his peak five years ago; his records were unmatched. However, in recent years, he has been outperformed by the other three batters in the ‘Fab Four.’

“Five or six years ago, when this big four emerged, with [Virat] Kohli being one of those as well, Joe was probably down near the bottom part of that because he hadn’t made the hundreds the other guys had made, but he’s made 19 hundreds in the past four years,” he added.

“If you asked an Englishman they’d say Joe Root, if you asked an Aussie they’d say Steve Smith, and if you asked a Kiwi they’d say Kane Williamson.

“So it’s a tough one, but on the numbers themselves it’s pretty hard to argue against what he’s done.”

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Ricky Ponting wants Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne to follow Virat Kohli

Legendary captain Ricky Ponting has advised struggling Australian batters Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith to follow Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli to regain their form ahead of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli, during the second innings of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, etched his name in the history books as he struck his 30th century in the format, going past legendary Sir Don Bradman‘s tally of Test hundreds.

Kohli walked out to bat on the third day carrying the weight of four single-digit scores in his last five innings and a 16-month century drought. He last scored a century during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand.

However, he displayed a masterclass in strokeplay, marking his return to form with an unbeaten knock of 100 runs off 143 balls, laced with eight boundaries and two sixes.

His innings propelled India to a commanding position before skipper Jasprit Bumrah declared with a staggering 533-run lead. In response, Australia crumbled to 238 all out in the final session on day four.

On the other hand, Australian batters struggled against a fiery pace attack of India. Labuschagne managed a mere five runs across two innings, while Smith was dismissed for a frustrating first-ball duck in the first innings and scored 17 runs in his second innings.

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Despite their disappointing displays, Ricky Ponting remained optimistic, believing that both players have the potential to regain their form.

“Marnus [Labuschagne] looked the most tentative out of all the batters in Perth. Yes, it was high-quality bowling on a difficult wicket, but he needs to find a way to turn it around,” Ponting told ICC Review.

“You have to find a way to take risks and put it back on those guys because you know Bumrahs of the world they’re not going to give you too many easy scoring opportunities and when they do you’ve got to be ready to pounce on it and put it away and try and put some pressure back on them.”

Ponting cited Kohli’s example and encouraged Australian batters to trust in their abilities, drawing a parallel to Virat Kohli, who overcame similar challenges.

“Virat went back to trusting his game and he looked like a different player in the second innings than he did in the first innings,” Ponting said.

“He got away from trying to combat the opposition and focused on his strengths. That’s what Marnus and (Steve) Smith need to do – find their own way and show great intent.”

READ: Australia suffer major blow ahead of second Border-Gavaskar Test against India

Legendary Australian captain urges Babar Azam to follow Virat Kohli’s footsteps

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has advised Pakistan batter Babar Azam to consider taking an extended break from competitive cricket, similar to the approach taken by Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, in order to regain his form.

Former Pakistan captain Babar is going through a rough patch, particularly in Test cricket. He had a forgettable home Test series against Bangladesh in August-September, where he managed a meagre 64 runs in four innings.

The star batter was also dropped from the last two Tests of the recently-concluded three-match series against England, pertaining to his series of dismal performances in the longest format.

Babar has scored 3,997 runs in 55 Tests at a decent average of 43.92 but failed to make a half-century in the format since 2022 and has averaged a meagre 20.7 since 2023.

He managed to retain his position in Pakistan’s ODI side in the first match against Australia but continued his dismal form as he fell prey to Adam Zampa after scoring only 37 runs.

Ricky Ponting, during an interview with the ICC Review, expressed concerns over Babar’s recent struggles, especially in Test cricket.

“The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side,” Ponting said in the ICC Review. “They’ve got to find a way to get Babar back into form and back into their [Test] team.”

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The former Australian captain cited the example of Virat Kohli, who made the bold decision to take an extended break in 2022 to recover his batting form.

Following the break, Kohli returned to the cricketing arena with renewed vigour and skill. His remarkable performance during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 showcased his exceptional batting prowess, and he further solidified his comeback by making a significant impact in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

“You know, when you look at (Babar’s) numbers, it’s been a bit like the stuff that we were talking about with Virat [Kohli] earlier on,” Ponting said.

“Sometimes – and I think Virat was on record saying this – that little bit of a break that he had, he took himself away from the game for a while to freshen up and sort out some things that he needed to sort out.”

Ricky Ponting suggested that Babar Azam should take a similar route and stay away from the game for some time to freshen himself up.

“This might be exactly what Babar needs. Maybe Babar needs to get away for a while and stop trying too hard,” the former captain stated.

“Lock the kit bag away for a while, think about something else and then hopefully come back recharged, because we know at his best he’s as good as anyone going around. Hopefully, we get to see that in the back half of his career again.”

READ: Pakistan squad carries out training session in Adelaide for second Australia ODI

Ricky Ponting backs THIS batter to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record

Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting has backed English batter Joe Root to break the batting records of Indian great Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar holds the record for scoring the most runs in Test cricket — 15,921 from a record 200 matches, followed by Ponting, who scored 13378 runs in 168 games.

Meanwhile, Root is currently the seventh among the highest run-scorers in Test cricket with 12027 runs from 143 matches.

Ponting has predicted that the 33-year-old English batter will be the one to break Tendulkar’s record in Test cricket.

“He (Root) could potentially do that,” Ricky Ponting said in the ICC review. “He is 33 years of age…(more than) 3000 runs behind.”

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The former Australian captain highlighted that if Joe Root participates in 10 to 14 Test matches every year and maintains his current level of performance, he could potentially surpass Sachin Tendulkar within the next four years, achieving this feat at the age of 37.

“It depends on how many Test matches they play, but if they’re playing 10 to 14 Test matches a year, and if you’re scoring 800 to 1,000 runs a year, then that sort of says he’s only three or four years off getting there. So that’ll take him to 37 (years of age),” Ponting added.

“If his hunger’s still there, then there’s every chance that he could do it. He is someone that, in the last couple of years, has gotten better and better.”

“Four or five years ago, he was making a lot of 50s and struggling to go on and make hundreds and he’s gone the other way recently.

“Almost every time he gets to 50 now, he goes on and makes a big hundred. So that’s been the real turnaround for him.”

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Ricky Ponting backs Jason Gillespie as head coach of Pakistan Test team

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind his former teammate Jason Gillespie as the red-ball head coach of the Pakistan cricket team.

Gillespie was appointed as the head coach of Pakistan’s Test team in April and the upcoming series against Bangladesh will be his first assignment in the role.

The series against Bangladesh will be followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season.

Ricky Ponting spoke highly of Gillespie, commending his coaching credentials and drawing comparisons with the newly appointed Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir.

“Jason Gillespie is a bit like Gautam Gambhir. Pretty much everywhere he has been, his coaching record has been very very good,” said Ponting.

“He will have some challenges I got no doubt about it. But he is a deep thinker and as I said, a quiet person that goes about it in his own way.”

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The former captain revealed that former Australian players had congratulated Gillespie on his appointment with the Pakistan team.

“We’ve got a few WhatsApp groups over the years, all of us old guys that have played together. So everyone’s congratulated him [Gillespie] and wished him luck in that role,” he said.

Ponting highlighted Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He welcomed the recent changes in the coaching staff, emphasizing the importance of these changes in order to improve team performance.

“And look, to be honest, I am not surprised at all by the amount of changes in that group. I know it is a different format but they had a very disappointing T20 World Cup. If you are not willing to make some changes, you’re expecting similar results to come your way,” he added.

Notably, The series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, with the first Test commencing at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 21-25 August.

The second Test match will be played at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 30 August to 3 September.

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Ricky Ponting clears air on taking England head coach role

Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting recently addressed reports about his potential interest in assuming the role of England head coach for white-ball cricket.

England men’s white-ball head coach Matthew Mott stepped down from his position with immediate effect on July 30.

The decision followed England’s recent ICC T20 World Cup campaign, where the team was knocked out at the semi-final stage by eventual winners India.

Mott, who met with Rob Key, ECB’s Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, last week, will leave his role after two years in office.

Appointed in May 2022, the 50-year-old Mott enjoyed immediate success, leading the team to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in the autumn of 2022.

Under his leadership, England achieved white-ball series victories against Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan.

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Following Mott’s resignation, multiple names circulated in the media as the potential candidates to become England’s next white-ball head coach, including Ricky Ponting.

However, Ponting confirmed that he is currently focused on his commitments with franchise leagues and will not be taking the England’s head coach job.

“No, I wouldn’t ever consider doing that actually,” Ponting said while speaking on the ICC Review. “I’m on record saying that international jobs for me right now are not really where my life is at as there’s just so much more time taken up with an international job.”

The former World Cup-winning captain shared that he has broadcast contracts while expressing a desire to prioritize spending time with his family, a goal that is difficult to achieve while managing an international team.

“I’ve got other commitments as well, with my TV work and things that I do and also trying to balance that out with having a decent amount of home time, which I haven’t had much of the last couple of years anyway,” he added.

“Coaching other international teams is one thing, coaching England for an Australian is probably something slightly different, but right now there’s sort of enough on my plate as I’ve got a bit more coming up in the next couple of months in the UK.”

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Ricky Ponting has an advice for South Africa ahead of T20 World Cup final

Australia’s two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting offered a piece of advice for South Africa ahead of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against India.

South Africa and India will lock horns in the final of the ongoing mega event at Kensington Oval, Barbados on June 29.

This is the first time the Proteas Men are competing in a World Cup final, having lost seven semi-finals, including a gut-wrenching defeat against Australia in the 1999 World Cup.

Meanwhile, former Australia captain Ponting wants South Africa to embrace the importance of the big match and advised the team to enjoy it as they have not been there before.

“A lot of teams say ‘It’s just another game’ and they try and hide away from how big the occasion is and it is no good doing that. it is all about embracing it for what it is,” Ponting stated.

“These players haven’t been there before, so enjoy tonight, enjoy tomorrow. But make sure everything you do leading in is the same and your preparation is the same,” he added.

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Ricky Ponting also lauded South Africa for maintaining a perfect record in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 as the side is the only team to have won all of their matches and urged them to be themselves in the final.

“They are undefeated up to here, so they don’t need to change anything and they don’t need to try any harder.

“They just need to turn up and be the best version of themselves and the best version of themselves as a team on the day and give themselves the best chance.

“If they do that, they will be hard to beat.”

READ: Rohit advises teammates ahead of T20 World Cup 2024 final

Ricky Ponting presents Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy to Pat Cummins

Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins was handed the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for winning the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2023.

The trophy was handed over to Pat Cummins by legendary batsman Ricky Ponting at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

“It gives me great pleasure to present the ICC Men’s International Cricketer of the Year Award to none other than Australian Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins,” stated Ponting in a video released by the apex cricketing body.

“Congratulations buddy. Very well deserved. A magnificent year for you and for your team,” Ponting lauded Cummins.

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Pat Cummins led his country to a great year as captain of both the Test and One Day International teams, defeating India at The Oval to win the World Test Championship, followed by a victory over the same opponent in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad.

Individually, Pat Cummins had a productive year. He took 42 Test wickets at 27.50, scoring 254 runs as the team in white won a Test in India and retained the Ashes away from home.

Cummins was instrumental in Australia’s World Cup success, taking 15 wickets while also contributing significantly with the bat (128 runs at 32) down the order.

With a T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, Australia have the opportunity to win both the white-ball World Cup and the World Test Championship.

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Ricky Ponting predicts highest run-scorer, wicket-taker for T20 World Cup 2024

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has unveiled his predictions for the highest run-scorer and the top wicket-taker for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, starting from June 1.

Ponting predicted that Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah would be the leading wicket-taker at the mega-event. Meanwhile, for the highest run-getter, Ponting picked Australian top-order batter Travis Head.

The former captain appreciated Bumrah’s ability to swing the ball as well as his impressive economy. Bumrah claimed 20 wickets in 13 games at an economy of 6.48 during the recently concluded IPL.

“My leading wicket-taker for the tournament will be Jasprit Bumrah. I just think an outstanding performer, and contributor for a number of years now. He’s just come off an outstanding IPL,” Ponting told The ICC Review.

“What he can do with the new ball, he swings the new ball, he has the seam up. But at the end, his economy rate at the end of the IPL was less than seven runs an over.

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“He takes wickets. He does bowl a lot of the hard overs too. When you bowl the hard overs in T20 cricket, it gives you a chance to pick up a lot of wickets along the way. So, I’m going with him.”

Ricky Ponting then praised Head for his batting prowess across formats in the last two years. Head scored crucial centuries in the finals of the ICC World Test Championship and ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

“My prediction for the leading run-scorer will be Travis Head. I just think everything he’s done, whether it be red-ball or white-ball in the last couple of years, has been of the highest quality. I think he’s playing fearless cricket at the moment,” Ponting said.

“His IPL had its ups and downs, but when it’s been good, it’s been very good. And it has won games of cricket for his team,” Ponting noted.

“And it’ll be exactly the same for Australia. So, look, he might not be the most consistent on the way through this tournament, but he’ll be right up there, I’m sure, with the leading run scorers. And as I’ve said, if he spends any amount of time at the wicket for Australia, he’ll win more games than ever.”

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Andy Flower not interested in India’s head coach role

Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower has recently cleared the air about the prospect of becoming the head coach of India, showing a lack of interest in the position.

India’s current head coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed ahead of the the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 that he will not be continuing in the role after the mega-event.

Flower, the head coach of the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru, was asked about the possibility of talking up the role with the Indian team after the playoff game against Rajasthan Royals yesterday.

“I haven’t applied. I won’t be applying. I am happy with my involvement in the franchise game at the moment,” Flower said during the press conference.

“It’s intriguing work, and I am fortunate to collaborate with some fantastic organizations, which I am thoroughly enjoying right now,” he added.

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Notably, legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has also turned down the offer to become the head coach of India recently.

Ponting confirmed that he was approached for the job and he would have loved to accept the offer, but his current commitments did not allow him to do so.

The three-time World Cup winner is currently the head coach of Delhi Capitals in IPL and Washington Freedom in MLC. He is also working as the head of strategy at Hobart Hurricanes in BBL.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently in the process of seeking applications from potential candidates to become the next head coach for a three-and-a-half-year period. The deadline for submitting applications is May 27.

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