Why Punter is still worth a bet

Ricky Ponting reminds me of a highlander who is battered and bruised but still has the audacity to walk fearlessly when the blade is no longer the sharpest. He is an intractable, who would not walk away into sunset, but would call it a day on his own terms.

He is belligerent, which is manifested in his on-field conduct. According to former Australian captain Allan Border, “what you see with Ponting is what you get, and he wears his heart on his sleeve”. Mind you, it is the combination of courage and skill which makes Ricky Ponting one of the finest batsmen of this era. Ricky Ponting is one of the very few Australian former captains who has survived the captaincy axe and is still very much in the scheme things for Australian cricket. This speaks volumes of his abilities as a sportsman & more conspicuously, as a leader. At the moment, he is living a “Saurav Ganguly” life – post captaincy where every move and innings of his life would be dissected and one bad innings would call for his head.

He is belligerent, which is manifested in his on-field conduct. According to former Australian captain Allan Border, “what you see with Ponting is what you get, and he wears his heart on his sleeve".

To re-ignite is not everyone’s eminence, but would be illicit to let go before a brutal brawl which would bring him at peace with himself and help him walk into the sunset.

Ponting inherited his test team from Steve Waugh, who in-turn got it from Mark Taylor and Allan Border prior to him. The same team stuck fear in the hearts of the opposition & they would loose the game in pre-match practice sessions, such was the work ethics. First 3 years of his captaincy, Ricky Ponting slept soundly at night, safe in the knowledge that regardless of whatever happens on the field, he had as his game covered with test cricket’s most lethal combination in the form of Warne & McGrath. He was often criticized for lacking imagination as a leader, but having said that, who needs imagination when the team boasted all time greats in the lineup.

To re-ignite is not everyone’s eminence; but would be illicit to let go before a brutal brawl which would bring him at peace with himself and help me walk into the sunset.

As a professional, he hit a new low with controversies surrounding him and the Australian team in 2007-08 season with the Sydney gate episode while his arrogance and overconfidence took over cricketing acumen where he claimed catches which were clearly grounded. As courage, confidence & skill combination is lethal and sure shot recipe of success, but abundance of all results in arrogance, for which Ponting was criticized across the sporting fraternity Down Under. This series would be most remembered for Kumble’s ‘spirit of cricket’ remarks on Ponting’s men.

Ponting is known for the wide repertoire shots in his armory, while the pull and hook being the trademarks. However, he shuffles a lot early in his innings while thrusting his front foot occasionally being the reason for his downfall. He also has questionable technique against quality spin, no wonder Harbhajan has got him 13 times in test cricket. But having said that, there is still life in his batting which is the main reason of his inclusion in the team. He is the vital cog in an inexperienced batting line up, which has Clarke & Hussey being only two other experienced campaigners. As history repeats itself Ponting finds himself in a similar situation as Allan Border in Mid 80s when rebel series to South Africa in defiance of the Gleneagles Agreement robbed Australia great players. This time around the greats retired and Ponting was at the helm managing the reins of inexperienced team. His way of captaincy by consensus would no longer be handy, butneed of the hour was to be adaptive during the transition period and his critics were silenced with victory over South Africa during 2009.

It wasn’t easy for Ponting as a leader during the transition phase which resulted due to the retirements of greats like Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Gilchrist, Langer, Martin and Gillespie. Ponting has taken this transition into his stride and changed his leadership style to accommodate new inexperienced talent and guide them through. Axing of Andrew Symonds was a tough call, but message was driven across the team that discipline shall not be compromised under any circumstances. Ponting shall render himself as agent of change, post captaincy Ponting’s leadership extends beyond the playing field, he is there to handhold the inexperienced players in tough situations like the one last month in Johannesburg, where Australia won the second test to square the series, thanks to matured innings by certain Punter at Number 3.

Besides his batting prowess, he is a heck of a shrewd leader and has a tip or two in his pocket for the captain when team is in dire straits. He is the ambassador of the work ethic and culture which has been inherited from the teams of Mark Taylor & Steve Waugh. Ponting is conscientious to inculcate all time proven work ethic template in this team as a mentor. He is not the leader who would just sermonize about why McGrath was deadly accurate or why was Warne such a master class or how fearless combo of Hayden & Gilchrist were or what was the secret of Langer’s calmness. But the one to implant this persona in this team, which converted aforesaid players into legends. Punter is certainly a cardboard cutout for this role.

Players like Hughes, Warner, Cummins, Siddle, Marsh, Khwaja & Doug Bollinger can have long International careers ahead of them. They are without a doubt at an advantage when a player of Ponting’s stature is around,, who is a versatile and has been part of the great immortal era of the past

And as the old axiom goes by “Gambling is a principle inherent in nature & nobody has ever bet enough on a winning horse” Punter would still back himself and has enough drive to bet on his ability to be the derby winner. By now he knows “It’s not the size of the dog in fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”. If he is able to characterize the change and acts consequently, end result shall comprise to the victory of the team and not only to him as an individual.

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