"Don't know where the negativity's come from" - Ricky Ponting hits back at Pat Cummins' critics after Australia's 2023 World Cup triumph

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting defended current skipper Pat Cummins after the side won a record sixth ODI World Cup, saying there was never any basis for criticising him.

Despite leading Australia to the World Test Championship (WTC) title and retaining the Ashes, Cummins was often criticized for his captaincy. The talks only grew louder when the Men in Yellow dropped their opening two games of the 2023 World Cup.

However, Australia silenced the doubters by pulling off nine consecutive wins, including an emphatic six-wicket win against India in the final.

Following Australia's World Cup triumph, Ponting was quoted by The Daily Mail as saying about Cummins' captaincy:

"I think that's been almost faultless, to be honest. I thought his leadership actually has got better and better right through the tournament. I don't know where the negativity's come from because there's been no real basis for it."

The 2003 and 2007 World Cup-winning captain also highlighted Australia's record under Pat Cummins across formats.

"You look at their overall Test record since he's been captain is outstanding," Ponting added. "And now he's a World Cup-winning captain, a World Test Championship-winning captain and a captain who retained the Ashes, so that negativity needs to be put aside now because there have been a number of moments - think back to the first Test of the Ashes - where he stood up and actually got the job done himself."

Following the WTC title Pat Cummins led Australia to a 2-2 result in the Ashes in England. He has now rounded off an incredible few months with the ODI World Cup victory.

Cummins has captained Australia in 36 games across formats with tremendous success, winning 23 and losing eight.

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"He thoroughly deserves every plaudit that comes his way" - Ricky Ponting on Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins picked up the massive wicket of Virat Kohli in the final.

Ricky Ponting also praised skipper Pat Cummins for frequently bailing Australia out of trouble with both bat and ball.

Following his crucial runs down the order in the semi-final win against South Africa, the 30-year-old picked up the vital wickets of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in the final. He finished with outstanding figures of 2/34 in his 10 overs to help restrict India to a below-par 240 in 50 overs.

"Under extreme pressure with bat or ball, it's generally been him when his team's in trouble who's changed the course of the game, so he thoroughly deserves every plaudit that comes his way as far as leadership is concerned," Ponting said.

After a sub-par start to his World Cup campaign, Pat Cummins finished with 15 wickets in 11 games, including five scalps in the semi-final and final combined.

Cummins was integral to Australia's 2021 T20 World Cup win too. He also played a role in their 2015 ODI World Cup triumph.