Ricky Ponting has announced that the third Test of the home series against South Africa will be his last. This may not be a great surprise, though it is a sad occasion for cricket fans around the world. Ricky Ponting has represented Australia with distinction since he made his Test debut at the WACA, late in 1995. He has played in more Test wins than any other player (100) and has scored the second highest number of Test runs, behind Sachin Tendulkar.
The man known as ‘Punter’, who might just be the most high profile owner of greyhounds on the planet, has not had a blemish free career by any stretch. He fronted the media with a black eye after getting in a fight at Kings Cross, admitting to a problem with alcohol. He has lead Australia to three series defeats against England – unthinkable in the era of his predecessors, Taylor and Waugh. In 2008, late journalist Peter Roebuck argued that Ponting should be sacked as Australian captain, after an acrimonious Test victory against India, which nearly saw India cancel their Australian tour.
However, Ricky Ponting never stopped fighting for Australia. He was exceptionally gifted, however he was hard as nails. Like Allan Border and Steve Waugh before him, Ponting was an Australian captain that put a very high price on his wicket. He turned games for Australia, with the bat and in the field. His batting record in Test matches throughout the early 2000s was exceptional, and only in the past couple of years has his form waned.
I was a young kid in Launceston when Ricky Ponting first played for Tasmania. I remember the hype around this budding superstar, who it seemed was destined for great things. I remember listening to his first Test innings, where was cruelly denied a ton on debut, when umpire Khizar Hayat ruled that an inswinging Chaminda Vaas delivery that struck Ponting high on the pads, was going to hit the stumps. Replays showed the ball would have cleared the stumps with ease.
A mate of mine who played cricket for Mowbray with Ponting once bowled to Ponting at training. My mate was the fastest bowler I ever faced, and even though he would have been 6 years younger than Ponting, he decided to bounce him. Ponting simply caught the ball with his left hand, in front of his eyes, and told the young firebrand to never bowl there again.
Ricky Ponting is widely regarded as a great of Australian cricket, and deservedly so. He is Australia’s best batsman since Bradman. He is a champion, and the game will be poorer without him in the middle.
Australian Cricket News 