RICKEY PONTING " A GOOD CAPTAIN AND BATSMAN ".

Ricky Ponting (born 19 December 1974 in Tasmania) is the current captain of the Australian cricket team in One Day International, Twenty20 International and Test cricket. Ponting also represents the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian Domestic cricket, a side he plays for intermittently due to international commitments. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very occasional right-arm medium pace bowler.

Ponting is a good captain. I don’t know if he’s a great captain. Great is an often over used adjective. He will always face the contention that a one legged blind zoo keeper (no one mention monkeys) could have managed the talent that Australia have had at its disposal during his captaincy reign. The same accusation that can be made of Clive Lloyd and other leaders of great teams sprinkled with more talent than at a bikini contest.

Key achievements

Ricky Ponting is considered one of the finest batsmen in the history of the game, and is currently ranked 18th in ODI's and 6th in Test Cricket. 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 century maker with 33 Test centuries.

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.

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.

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