[VIDEOS] How will you remember Ricky Ponting?

[Saj]

He was an abrasive character wasn't he. Not everyone's "cup of tea" by any stretch of the imagination and never one to be politically correct.

He wound up the opposition, he had run ins with umpires and many a fan disliked him.

But having said that, the bottom line is that he is an all time great. A cricketer who the opposition feared and knew could change the course of a match.

How will you remember Ponting the cricketer?

 

[Mobashir]

As a great great cricketer.

Loved and enjoyed his batting troughout his career, especially his brilliance in the mid 00's.
Most die hard cricket fans love fast bowling, and he was probably the best player of fast bowling of his generation, so the respect we have to show him is immense.

In his last years, his batting was not so good but was still a firce competitor, and he was brilliant in the phanta Indians recieved is ozland!

Also, love his stance in those last years: left captaincy at the right moment, left cricket at the right moment, talked a lot about the importance of test cricket, the importance to play for the national side in this time when T20 leagues all over us.

LEGEND!

 

[Savak]

His last couple of years were below standards. His average must have dropped from 56-58 to 51. His batting suffered once all his legendary players deserted him which showed as the side started to single handedly depend on him, he couldnt handle the pressure.

 

[Robert]

How will you remember Ponting the cricketer?

Sooking his head off when he was run out by Gary Pratt at Trent Bridge.

 

[leatherface58]

In terms of attitude, an older though not necessarily wiser Kohli

Very good bat though.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Unforgettable player.
Very special.
ATG batsman.
Fierce competitor .
Good leader.


Ricky has left his mark. Even among the 'greats' only a few do that.

 

[Khaleefa]

Khass kum jahaan paak.

 

[SL_Fan]

Jokes aside he will be remembered as an all time great of the game and as someone who stood up when it mattered most and never giving in.

 

[Jeetu111]

i will not remember him .He was a terrific bat but had disgusting habit of spitting on his palms !!!

 

[GentleMan]

As a fierce cricketer who was all abut winning, didn't mind if he looked ugly in the process, always ready to accept blame for his failures, and always ready to challenge opposition or even the umpire for something he believed in.. immense talent, his stats are very similar to rahul dravid, except that he was destructive and caused fear among the bowlers..

as a batsman i rate him highly, although not as much as a captain, in spite of him winning 2 WCs because he was a captain as good as his team..when he lost his star players, his struggled as a captain (except a mitchell johnson inspired series win against south africa in south africa) ..also it didnt help that because of his loss of form he couldnt lead from the front..his lowest point was when he lost ashes to england twice

but in a strange way, I felt an emptyness when Lara retired, when Steve Waugh retired and when Inzi left.. but i don get the same feeling with Ponting, because i see him as a destructive run machine, not an artist like Lara or a grit above talent like S Waugh..I am sure Australia will produce similar run machines..Clarke is already becoming one, although more elegant to watch..

 

[Buffet]

As an ATG and best 3 bats in last 20 years.

 

[Namak_Halaal]

Phenomenal batsmen, had the Talent, Skill, and importantly a Personality to go with it. Embodies everything about Cricket.

Will never forget that 140* in WC final knock which reduced an entire nation to tears.

 

[oyei]

-Great Leader
-Hook shot
-arrogance
- the best batsmen to watch play after Lara.

 

[Austin 3:16]

World cup final 2003.

 

[Jeetu111]

Phenomenal batsmen, had the Talent, Skill, and importantly a Personality to go with it. Embodies everything about Cricket.

Will never forget that 140* in WC final knock which reduced an entire nation to tears.

lil world ...forever about India & Indians

 

[Namak_Halaal]

lil world ...forever about India & Indians

Not my fault Ponting performed at the world's highest stage, in the world's biggest game, vs India is it?

Even the Pros and ex-cricketers rate his WC 140* as one of his finest innings so it's nothing personal.



PS: You must still remember his 140*; hard to forget a majestic innings.

 

[Saqs]

Border style grit.

Chappell style grace.

Amazing fielder.

Spoiled captain.

A flawed genius. Just the way I like my cricketers.

 

[AZ]

best player of the pull shot in the modern game.

 

[The Muppets XI]

Should remember him as a great cricketer, but can't get the following images out of my head:

- having a sook at the Airport after losing the 2005 Ashes and all his equipment falling off his trolley.

- having an on pitch sook at Aleem Dar after not getting the decision he wanted

- having a sook at Amir for getting in his way after bowling

- and using spit as handcream

 

[RexRex]

Loved everything about him .. his batting , his fielding , his commitment , attitude , interviews ..truly a legend.He made the mini-rivalry India had with Aus all the more enjoyable.

 

[Equinox]

All-Time Great

 

[Gunther]

My tremendous admiration for him was slightly dampened by the fact that he could not rouse himself for atleast one big performance in his last series. He had been talking such a good game through out the year.

 

[Gunther]

I will remember him especially for his intimidatory batting in the 2006-07 Ashes. Forget Warne n McGrath, Ricky amassed around 500 runs in the first three tests and was the single biggest factor in their domination in that series.

 

[PakPrince]

The magnificent pull shot

And the WC 2003 Final innings

 

[Zaz]

A batsman of the best quality and class

 

[The Dark Corner]

As a brilliant batsmen. I like his stance on modern cricket as well. However, didn't always enjoy his on field antics, but that's the way he played his cricketer. He loved competing. A very good career, obviously.

 

[Dan08]

His 164 off 105 balls in the greatest ODI ever was magnificent.

 

[asif9138]

class batsman and fighter

 

[BlackThunder]

Ricky Ponting is the kind of player who you hate to play against but would absolutely love to have him in your team.

If you were to go into battle you would definitly want Ponting to be on your side. I will remember him as a great competitor who brought it day in and day out regardless of the situation. I would love to have a player as dedicated and commited as Ponting represent my country.

 

[Fireworks11]

A sublime genius. His hunger was immense. That look in his eye. The spit on his hands as he stood their at 2nd slip. Thrilling stroke maker.

Would have loved to see him come to England next for a final hurrah, not to be. His time is up, the book is now closed. Enjoy your retirement Ricky.

 

[*sallu*]

The Ricky I remember is the one that came in after Hayden and Langer and destroyed attacks from ball one. He did it for 95% of his career and that's how he should be remembered.

He was the fearsome yet reliable number 3 that failed to fail

 

[j_kazmi]

For being a great cricket and also for being a george bush lookalike lol

 

[frenchcut]

Maybe there were one or two players of his generation who overall had better careers than him, but for about 10 years at his peak, he reached the highest of highs, made opposing teams sh!t their pants, batted like he owned the world and in short, was absolutely untouchable as a batsman.

I hated him about 12 years ago and thought he was a cocky git. However, over the last 4 years my respect for him grew exponentially, to the point that his retirement along with dravid's is the one that has saddened me most since I began watching cricket. Over the last 5 years, I started supporting australia anytime they played england or south africa almost solely because I was such a massive massive fan of ponting's.

It cannot be easy to be the last man standing from a team of greats like he was. To fight on and scrap it out when you are no longer awesome, but just merely good. While some people looked at it as "playing on even though past it" or "selfish", I always viewed it as a brave, stubborn move by a man who might not have had the tactical nous of some other captains, but was unparalleled as a leader of men due to his sheer toughness.

As an australian, he wore his heart on his sleeve who would willingly bleed yellow and green on the pitch for his team. In his twilight years, he showed an endearing, statesmanlike nature with regard to promoting the primacy of test cricket as the ultimate form of the game.

Ultimately, for me, he was the heart, soul and siege engine of the greatest team that I will ever see.

 

[waqar_ahmad]

One of the best players of fast bowling I have ever seen.
One of the best number 3 batsmen I have ever seen.
One of the best players of the pull shot

Great player

 

[kingusama92]

You may hate him, but he sure did know how to bat.

He cared about his team and winning. A true Aussie in that regard.

He will forever remain my most favourite player. Just a wonderful batsman that put the opposition under pressure.

 

[OZGOD]

Of all the tons he scored, the 150+ he scored at Old Trafford to help OZ secure a draw against England is probably the one I will remember the most. Ponting at his most defiant against a superb four prong making the ball go Irish.

Second most memorable? The 140 against India in the 2003 WC. Why? Because it was in a WC, and against India. Especially after this article before the match:

CWC Final Preview: Why India start favorites

By Anil - 20 March 2003
March 21 2003

The finalists of the 2003 World Cup are, quite predictably, the two teams that have been head and shoulders above the rest of the field in the tournament: India and Australia. But who has the edge going into the final? Fans of cricket across the world can expect to see a cracker of a Cricket World Cup final on Sunday March 23 in the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, a clash between the two top teams in the world: India and Australia.

These two teams have outclassed their opponents along most of the way, and while I had expected to see the two of them in the finals, the contest may not be as even as may have been anticipated when the tournament began.

Peaking and troughing

Winning a major tournament is all about hitting your best form in the most important games, and getting progressively better as the tournament moves along.
India, after an indifferent start caused primarily by a lack of initial form after a poorly-organized tour in New Zealand on underprepared pitches which were widely considered unfit for international matches, improved steadily as they went along, going from strength to strength in every department of the game and easily defeating most opponents in an unbeaten string of 8 matches.

Australia, which started strongly enough, have sputtered and struggled on their way to the final, managing to recover to win their games by unconvincing margins against weak teams as they neared the final.

England, New Zealand, Kenya

Australia were in deep trouble against 3 teams, looking to be out of the game until weaknesses in those teams allowed the Aussies to scratch their way out of trouble.
England: Chasing a target of 204 against England, Australia stumbled to 135/8 in over 38. Poor captaincy by Hussain allowed the Australian lower order to scrape out of a near-certain loss. Only England could have let this happen against their nemesis.
New Zealand: Australia crashed to 84/7 in over 27 batting first against their neighbors. The weak New Zealand secondary bowlers and then their batsmen allowed Australia to dig themselves out of this impossible situation.
Kenya: Most shocking of all, Australia were looking at an embarassing loss against these minnows, falling to 117/5 chasing a target of 175 -- after they had failed to dismiss the Kenyan lineup in 50 overs! They should have lost to any decent bowling attack after this, but could scramble their way out due to rank weak bowling, weakened even further by Kenya resting two bowlers ahead of their semifinal match!
Apart from the above, Australia looked in trouble in the semifinal against Sri Lanka, who bowled them out for a very gettable 212 and were going great guns for the first 3 overs, until spineless Lankan batting and rain finally ended that match.

By comparison, India pulled off emphatic and overwhelming victories against each of the above 4 teams.

The Aussie team

Australia have lost some of their key players since the start of the tournament: Jason Gillespie, far and away the best of their pacemen, injured himself halfway through the tournament and dropped out. Shane Warne, their best and most successful bowler, was banned at the start after testing positive for banned drugs. Damien Martyn, a key ODI player, was injured in the last match. Finally, shrewd ex-captain Steve Waugh was not selected, a tremendous blow as his replacement Ricky Ponting is seen as a shallow thinker both on and off field.
The Aussie bowling attack is unlikely to give too much trouble to the India lineup. Much-touted veteran Aussie medium-pacer Glen McGrath has looked out of sorts at this tournament. Although the aging warhorse has bowled his heart out, he has been unable to attack batsmen, instead preferring to bowl at a spot just short of the wide line, challenging batsmen to hit him rather than bowl an attacking line. This strategy has seen him end up wicketless against teams such as Kenya and Holland, a demoralizing performance from a strike bowler, to say the least.

Brett Lee has picked up wickets against the weaker teams primarily with pace, but has not been particularly impressive against the better batsmen. His wickets against India in its poorest form at the start of the tournament came off wide deliveries. His performance against England's comparatively weak batting lineup on a bowler's paradise was a pedestrian 9-0-58-0. Pace alone will buy him little, as the faster Shoaib Akhtar found out against India. Andy Bichel, a journeyman who is normally not in the frame for their ODI team, and works hard at his 135 Kph stock delivery, can expect to be handled roughly by India's batters. Finally, the 4th and 5th bowlers will have no refuge -- the likes of Hogg, Symonds and Harvey are liable to be tonked around the park mercilessly.

Batting-wise, Australia has a strong top order and a notoriously weak middle order, prone to collapse. This Cup, the top order -- with the likes of Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting -- has been weak and has gone down against some of the weakest bowling attacks around. Bowling as strong as India's will not allow Australia to recover from the disastrous positions it has found itself in time and again, reduced to depending on their lower order for most of their runs.

Finally, the Australian side is now packed with bits-and-pieces playes who are short of international class, even if they have done well against the weaker sides - names such as Bichel, Harvey, Symonds. These players are unlikely to do well against world-class opposition.

Indian strengths

The batting has looked world class and justified their billing as the best lineup in the world. Top guns Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have fired, and are placed at number 1 and 2 respectively for the Man of the Tournament award, far ahead of any of the Aussies, who trail teams that have already been eliminated. The explosive and aggressive Virender Sehwag has not really got going at the same level, which will have the Aussies concerned since he will want to rectify that in the final. Rahul Dravid and Mohammed Kaif have been characteristically solid and reliable, finishing more than one match calmly. Yuvraj Singh has played match-winner a few times already, and is raring to repeat in the final: almost invariably, he tends to come good under the most pressure. Dinesh Mongia, who was adjudged international ODI batsman of the year last year, did well in the first game of the tournament and will work hard to make his presence felt at the Wanderers.
Ganguly, who has one of the world's best records as an opener in ODIs, is back in form and once he settles down, Lee and company will find that short-pitched bowling to him will be milked for runs. The bad news for Australia will be that their obsession with the best batsman in the world, Sachin Tendulkar, may hurt them because of the deep lineup of top-class batsman who are ready to take over when Tendulkar leaves.

The fast bowling has been a revelation. The troika of Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, and Ashish Nehra have not only been the most successful and destructive pace battery in this Cup, outdoing their Aussie counterparts Lee/McGrath/Bichel, but are also the fastest pace attack, based on peak and average speeds captured on the tournament speed guns. Several ex-players and other team captains have admitted that the Indian pacemen look as good as, if not slightly ahead of, the Aussies.

Harbhajan Singh, the lone specialist spinner, hasn't been called upon as much as he was in the past, but has looked very good when he has. Part-time spinners like Yuvraj, Mongia, Sehwag, and Tendulkar have delivered the goods time and again when the captain has thrown the ball to them. Ganguly himself has been reluctant to send down his medium-pace stuff much after his triple strike in the match against Zimbabwe.

The fielding for India has been lively and efficient. Yuvraj and Kaif have led the way, with Kaif delivering the runout of the World Cup against Knight of England and both taking splendid catches, and the likes of Mongia, Sehwag, and Tendulkar have also excelled. Even the rest of the fielders have been inspired by them, and shown a commitment in the field that has not been seen in an Indian outfit for a long time, throwing themselves at boundary lines, taking blinders, and firing in quick returns.

Finally, the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly may be the best seen from any captain here, and he is perhaps in the best "captaincy form" of his life. His fielding placements, bowling changes, and handling of the team have been superb, and he is now earning accolades even from his many critics, some of whom have had a beef with him due to his assertive, no-nonsense, and aggressive style.

Stadium support

With India's resurgence in this tournament, cricket writers across the globe have lauded India for winning with grace and without arrogance. The common refrain is that it IS possible to be champions without being hated. This time around, it's going to be the good guys versus the bad guys.
As a result, this Sunday March 23, not just the half of the Wanderers stadium filled with India supporters will be rooting for India, but the other half filled with South Africans and fans of teams other than Australia, will be cheering on India too. Because the Australians have inherited a reputation as graceless winners, audiences across the world would dearly like to see what they look like as losers.

Superstition or Precedent?

Eerily, Australia is currently on a 16-win streak in ODIs.. exactly the same streak they had going in Tests when it was abruptly and decisively ended by India during the historic Test series between the two teams in 2001. At the time, Steve Waugh referred to India as the Final Frontier because Australia has been repeatedly unsuccessful in winning away against India -- Ponting may find the upcoming final just as impossible to win!
Kenya compared to Australia

If one examines how Kenya has played and prospered in this tournament, it becomes startlingly obvious which team the Kenyans most resemble: Australia!
Like the Aussies, the Kenyans are big on effort, high on discipline, committed on fielding, but light on talent. Clearly the Aussies have more talent (apart from having a big edge on the sledging aspect), but the comparison is valid. Little wonder then, that the Aussies came so close to losing their match against the Kenyans -- a mirror image of themselves, if at a much lower scale!

A solidly professional Indian side, packed with some of the best talents in the world, should easily outclass the Aussies.

Bottom line

The Aussies will have to play well above their potential, and the Indians below theirs, for this match to be competitive. Given that both sides play to potential, the final should be a mismatch: I expect India to win it easily. The 2003 final is likely to be as one-sided as the 1999 one.

http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/main/s119/st21964.php

)

 

[NJamal]

The Best batsman of our generation.

 

[Mamoon]

How will I remember him?
Brilliant cricketer, sour loser with way too many double standards.

 

[Saqs]

Of all the tons he scored, the 150+ he scored at Old Trafford to help OZ secure a draw against England is probably the one I will remember the most. Ponting at his most defiant against a superb four prong making the ball go Irish.

Second most memorable? The 140 against India in the 2003 WC. Why? Because it was in a WC, and against India. Especially after this article before the match:



)

Lol at the fastest pace battery in the cup. No were not talking about Lee and co or Shoaib and co. We're talking about Zaheer Khan Srinath and Nehra

 

[Mamoon]

Lol at the fastest pace battery in the cup. No were not talking about Lee and co or Shoaib and co. We're talking about Zaheer Khan Srinath and Nehra

He really owned India and that further propelled the hatred towards him. It was stick cricket stuff.

 

[Kwremb]

I also find hilarious how the author missed the tonking Aus gave to the Indians in the group stage, 120 all out was it? )

 

[adi_6294]

An absolute fighter.
And an amazing character on field....
I am really sad to see him step down...

 

[worndownfan]

Most succesful cricketer ever to have played the game. Most wins as player, most wins as captain, most WC wins, MoM in the world cup final...I don't see neone coming close to him in terms of achieving success.

 

[adit_sh]

1. I will remember Ponting for 2003 WC final. what brutal innings.
2. 164 Vs SA in Joburg
3. 102 Vs India in WC2011

Ozgod , was that article a nonsense blog or was it really an article written by some sports journo ?/ any followup on this post match ...lol

 

[Saurav]

player ar excellence pwho defined grit,temperament n no holding back attitude.

 

[kamran_uk]

A legend player was always a treat to watch him bat

 

[OZGOD]

Ozgod , was that article a nonsense blog or was it really an article written by some sports journo ?/ any followup on this post match ...lol

That article was written by an actual "internet journo" and webmaster a lot of us long timers are are familiar with, because we used to share a domain forum with them way back when! Before we moved to this current forum in any case. All I will say are the intials ICF and Sportnetwork - astute internet sleuths can figure it out

 

[-MB-]

brilliant batsman and fielder

was a bit of a prat though

 

[Osman]

better than sachin

 

[DHONI183]

For what?

1. That awesomely brutal knock in the World Cup Final 2003.

2. His two centuries in his 100th Test match which came against South Africa in 2006. I, from my lifetime at least, rate it as the best performance ever by anyone in his 100th Test match. Maybe it´s only me but I feel this performance has been highlighted less than deserved. Chased 287 in the fourth innings and struck 143 not out off just 159 balls.

How?

I got so used to see him captain Australia that I still felt he was captaining them till yesterday. Anyways, I will remember him as an honest captain who never looked for pathetic excuses for team´s defeat (how often did it happen anyway?).

Despite having won so much, him being down on knees after the quarter-final defeat against India in the 2011 World Cup just signified his hunger for Australia to succeed......

Apart from that, an awesome fielder that he was.

That one moment.....?

An amazing six from this match......

http://www.espncricinfo.com/engvaus2009/engine/match/350047.html

See the text commentary in the attached image below.....

 

[SL_Fan]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/594377.html

Cricinfo writers' favourite Ricky Ponting moments

196 v England, Brisbane, 2006-07

The opening day of the 2006-07 Ashes is best remembered for Steve Harmison's wide to second slip from the first ball of the morning. It should not be forgotten that it was also the day of one of Ponting's finest innings. This was a captain who had given the Ashes back to England the previous year. The reputation of his captaincy, as the ESPNcricinfo report of the day's play stated at the time, "rests entirely on his success in this campaign". He finished the first day on 137 and was finally dismissed on day two for 196. It was an innings full of his trademark pulls and back-foot drives, and an innings that declared Australia's intent to crush England. Ultimately, it was an innings that set Australia on the path to a 5-0 Ashes triumph.

Brydon Coverdale

104 v India, Ahmedabad, World Cup quarter-final, 2011

For the cricketer involved in the most wins in the history of the game, my favourite moment of the man came in the wake of defeat. Ricky Ponting the cricketer I had always admired, but in later years, as he matured and mellowed, and as Australia began to lose their aura, an endearing and personable man emerged. I never got to know him personally, but even the sterile settings of media conferences provide glimpses into character, and as I watched Ponting at the press conference after Australia's loss to India in the World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad last year, the cricket lover in me found a deeper connection with the man.

Ponting had played his best innings of the tournament, and the best innings of the match, a carefully crafted 104 on a pitch that turned pretty much from the beginning, only to watch his team make its earliest exit from the World Cup since 1992. He was asked if he felt like a tragic hero.

"Do I feel like a tragic hero?" Ponting mulled the question. "I don't feel much of a hero at the moment, I must admit." The rest of the interaction followed in much the same vein. Ponting carried himself with dignity and grace, and with a touch of humour. His Test career would end the same way as his World Cup career: after winning three World Cups, he signed out with a defeat. But he had gone out a hero.

Sambit Bal

v England, Old Trafford, 2005

For the first decade of his international career Ricky Ponting did not have to save many matches for his country such was Australia's dominance of the world stage. But in 2005, against England at Old Trafford, he produced one of the finest rearguards you could imagine. It was not the longest back-to-the-walls innings, but for the context it was an epic. On the back of the famous two-run win at Edgbaston, England had bossed the next Test and set Australia 423 in just over a day. Justin Langer fell to the seventh ball of the final morning and in strode Ponting; he did not depart until 24 balls remained of the Test. For more than six hours he defied the strongest England pace attack for a generation as wickets fell steadily around him. As ever with Ponting, he scored, too, never letting the situation stifle his natural instincts. Every England supporter was willing an edge, or an lbw or, frankly, any legal dismissal. When it finally came, four overs from the end, with a gloved pull, the ground erupted in celebration but also in appreciation of a wonderful innings. For the home support, the perfect outcome would have been one more wicket, but Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee hung on. Ponting cheered the draw. England knew they had Australia. Ultimate Ashes cricket.

Andrew McGlashan

62 v South Africa, Johannesburg, 2010-11

After more 15 years as an international cricketer, it seemed Ricky Ponting's end would come in Johannesburg in November 2011. He was under immense pressure from the media and in sorry form, similar to the one that brought the curtain down for real this time. With memories of his 2003 World Cup final century still fresh in my mind and his penchant for scoring against South Africa, I thought he would have something special in the tank. In the first innings, he was out lbw to Dale Steyn for a duck, playing across the line to one that angled in. It was to end badly, I thought. But with Australia 19 for 2, needing 310 to win the match, the expected stepping up came. It began with two of the most confident pull shots I can remember. No matter how much he was struggling, the mastery was still there. He still knew how to rock back and roll them out, and even though the rest of his innings was mostly a show of patience instead of pleasure, I will remember Ponting for his resilience, determination and what seemed an evergreen ability to keep going.

Firdose Moonda

v India, Mohali, 2010-11

Ricky Ponting was formidable in victory, but he was at his most human in defeat. Australia's decline gave him plenty of opportunities to experience the pain of a loss, but he was never less than candid and even-tempered in speaking after one. The 2010 Test in Mohali was one of the most galling of all. Australia's unfancied side gave everything, losing by a wicket, and might have won had Doug Bollinger not been forced from the field with a side strain, having had only two days to recover from playing in the Champions League in South Africa. Ponting mused on the game, VVS Laxman's sorcery, the implications of Bollinger's injury, and the courage shown by the substitute fielder Steve Smith in throwing at the stumps in a run-out attempt for the final wicket that instead went for four costly overthrows. "There's no blame at all towards Smith for having a shot at the stumps," Ponting said. "If that was me, I would have done exactly the same thing."

Daniel Brettig

v England, Trent Bridge, 2005

Bill Andrews, one of the more rebellious cricketers to play for Somerset lived on the story of how he once bowled Don Bradman. He even called his biography The Hand That Bowled Bradman. Little did it matter that the Don had made 202 at the time and allowed his stumps to be hit. Move forward from 1938 to 2005 and the run-out of Ricky Ponting in the Trent Bridge Test by England's little-known substitute fielder, Gary Pratt. Ponting was incandescent, sensing foul play. England supporters revelled in his discomfort, the conviction growing that England really could win the Ashes. Ponting had the misfortune to skipper Australia in three Ashes defeats, but as much as England crowds loved to bait him, everybody surely recognised him as a formidable cricketer: rugged, uncompromising and richly talented. From the hand that bowled Bradman, the story had moved to the hand that ran out Ricky. There are few finer accolades than that.

David Hopps

v India, quarter-final, World Cup 2011, Ahmedabad

In Indian hearts, Ricky Ponting's finest against India produced an amalgam of open-mouthed awe and woeful helplessness. Like 140 not out in the 2003 World Cup final. When India and Australia met in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final, Ponting had not scored an international century in 13 months. But we knew only this belligerent blaze of a batsman could vaporise his recent past and reshape the present. Almost predictably, Ponting produced a century (104) of creativity and composure. India's nemesis, with the face of a five-year-old, the feet of a dancer and the ruthlessness of a butcher had once again stamped the occasion. In a simmering Motera, dread and optimism arm-wrestled in the interval. India chased clinically, though, and Australia were out of the World Cup for the first time since 1996. Ponting said he was "devastated", and this time awe and woefulness resided in the same. It was to be his last international match in India. He should have been given a standing ovation. Boy, he was tough, but man, was he brilliant.

Sharda Ugra

v India, 1999-2000

The new and mellowed Ricky Ponting has endeared himself to many but me, I always liked my Ponting angry and unreasonable, with the over-my-dead-body attitude. There was this one time, in Australia in 1999-2000, when Javagal Srinath did him in with a bouncer. It was a good delivery, rearing from short of a length, Ponting was already on the front foot, and was a little late into the pull. The top edge crashed into his helmet, and Srinath seemed to walk up to check on how Ponting was.

So sure was Ponting of himself, so invincible in his head, so quick to write off he had been beaten that he went after Srinath. Even before removing his helmet to check if he had a cut on his face, or how bad that hit hurt, Ponting shot back at Srinath, waving the bat at him, telling him to "go back and f****** bowl". When at his best, Ponting never showed a hint of weakness, even if there was one. And why would he? He won more Tests than any other player.

I wonder how Ponting felt when on his final day in Test cricket he was given a guard of honour. This, just before his second-worst Test series and just before his second-biggest Test defeat (by runs). That's the weakest Ponting moment I have seen. The Ponting I liked would have told that guard of honour, "We'll have a beer afterwards boys, but this is Test cricket. Go back and f****** bowl."

Sidharth Monga

 

[HASHAM2]

Pull short

 

[SL_Fan]

Pull short

Pull who's short? )

 

[pun500]

For his demolition job against us in 2003 and just his style of batting at his best his pull was extraordinary and yes his legendary run in with bhajji. Man did bhajji have his no or what

Somehow kohli reminds me of the earlier ponting brash aggressive , night club brawling chap who when screwed his head straight became the top dog

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Purely in terms of batting I liked him immensely. As a captain though I detested him. One can be fiercely competing without being a sook. To compare while I was in my early teens at the time I was the verge of tears when Steve Waugh retired and he was ridiculously competitive, i also felt great sadness at dravids retirement. I don't feel the same for ponting

 

[Areesh]

For me he is a legend.

 

[AZ]

that 104 in the WC 2011 QF was one of the most high quality knocks in ODI cricket I have seen, pitch was turning all over the place but Ponting played an absolute masterclass.

if only the Aussies had a half-decent spinner instead of friggin' Krejza.

 

[Marshland]

Adelaide 2006 was a good one too. Giles dropping him helped, but he still scored the runs.

 

[W63L35]

Will never forget that 140* in WC final knock which reduced an entire nation to tears.

I have true (personal) story about this innings...

One of my Indian friend would call me after almost every match (the day after) India played in 2003 WC.... and every time he would start the conversion with following....

"Bhaia...India ki bowling dekhi aap ne raat ko.. .kaisi jabardast bowling ki unhoon ney".
(Bro ... did you see magnificent bowling from India last night?)

...and then he would go on and on... about how great Indian bowling has been in this tournament.

Well, Indian bowlers (specially seamers - Nehra, Zaheer and Srinath) did very well in South African conditions... and played a huge role in getting their team to the final.

Well, then the final happens..... and I knew, he will not call me. So I called him....and guess what was the first sentence out of my moth?

"Bhaia...India ki bowling dekhi aap ne raat ko.. ?"

 

[waqar goraya]

Of all the tons he scored, the 150+ he scored at Old Trafford to help OZ secure a draw against England is probably the one I will remember the most. Ponting at his most defiant against a superb four prong making the ball go Irish.

Second most memorable? The 140 against India in the 2003 WC. Why? Because it was in a WC, and against India. Especially after this article before the match:



)

Really this article is so atrocious that you can not forget it even after decades...) )

 

[W63L35]

Second most memorable? The 140 against India in the 2003 WC. Why? Because it was in a WC, and against India. Especially after this article before the match:
)

Well give him credit for getting at least ONE sentence/prediction to be so correct!!!

The 2003 final is likely to be as one-sided as the 1999 one.

..and I wonder why he did not mention his last/sur name.. just Anil? The guy seems to be from Kolkata.
... and I hope, he did not quit his day job to become full time sports writer.

I'd love to read his few more gems like this one!

 

[GentleMan]

Really this article is so atrocious that you can not forget it even after decades...) )

many such articles written by deluded people

Cricket has been plagued by so much controversy of late due to the spot-fixing allegations, that most Pakistanis have no hope that we can win matches in the World Cup 2011, and most are far from assuming that we will even dream to reach the final.

I strongly disagree.

I am pretty confident that our team – yes, the Pakistan cricket team – will win this World Cup and bring cricket and the trophy back to Pakistan.

Our players can take on the world

We must not forget that we have had wins along with the losses, and what we can learn from global cricketing tournaments like the T20 is that we can do a lot better when playing with different teams rather than playing a single series with the same team.

We have world class players who will (hopefully) be part of the final World Cup squad that will take on the world. Players like Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Akhtar, the Akmal brothers, Younus Khan and Saeed Ajmal are those who played in past T20 tournaments and have the experience to cope with pressure in difficult situations.

If we look at these players and their class individually, you will see we have the best:

Abdul Razzaq: The vampire of Pakistan cricket who does not seem to be ageing is the same as he was in the 1999 World Cup.

Umar Gul: The robot of in-swinging fast bowling and Yorkers can bowl all 60 deliveries in his spell wherever he wants to.

Saeed Ajmal: A man who plays the game with a cool head and bowls every ball to take wicket. Have you seen the doosra?

Mohammad Hafeez: The quick fielder who owns the field once he’s on the ground.

Shoaib Akhtar: Our giant raging bull whose talent needs no description. Watching any Youtube video of how he silences the whole world with his bowling is proof enough . Great cricketers like Brian Lara, Gary Kirsten and Sourav Gangully have fallen to the ground against his bowling.

Shahid Afridi: Last but not the least, the don of Pakistan cricket. Everyone knows that once he starts batting there isn’t enough firepower in the world to take his wicket.

I will pray that our players win outright until they reach their destiny in Mumbai, grabbing gold and bringing it home with great positive hope for our youngsters and cricket in Pakistan.

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/3967/pakistan-will-bring-this-world-cup-home/

 

[Bullet Drive]

many such articles written by deluded people



http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/3967/pakistan-will-bring-this-world-cup-home/

This ones bad but not as bad as the Indian one

 

[GentleMan]

This ones bad but not as bad as the Indian one

it is bad depending on how you see it..an emotional fan, then it is excused..a reputed journalist then it is laughable.. and i see both written by emotional fans..who tend to get excited and see their players as the best..

 

[dhump]

Brilliant batsman and a pleasure to watch I will never forget his straight drives and pull shots.

 

[W63L35]

many such articles written by deluded people

Extremely lame...... GM.

The idiot from your side was saying bluntly what "WILL" happen.... while article you posted is merely saying what Pakistan players "CAN" do and what they "HAVE DONE" in the past.

I did not realize you don't know the difference between "CAN" and "WILL".


Let me give you analogy....

"I can break your nose with a punch"!
"I will break your nose with a punch"!

Who statement is sounds stupid? I thought, you would have been smart enough to recognize?

Our players can take on the world

and have the experience to cope with pressure in difficult situations.

Umar Gul: The robot of in-swinging fast bowling and Yorkers can bowl all 60 deliveries in his spell wherever he wants to.


Shoaib Akhtar: Our giant raging bull whose talent needs no description. Watching any Youtube video of how he silences the whole world with his bowling is proof enough . Great cricketers like Brian Lara, Gary Kirsten and Sourav Gangully have fallen to the ground against his bowling.

Shahid Afridi: Last but not the least, the don of Pakistan cricket. Everyone knows that once he starts batting there isn’t enough firepower in the world to take his wicket.

I will pray that our players win outright until they reach their destiny in Mumbai, grabbing gold and bringing it home with great positive hope for our youngsters and cricket in Pakistan.

Here is what genius from your side said...

Given that both sides play to potential, the final should be a mismatch: I expect India to win it easily.

Pace alone will buy him little, as the faster Shoaib Akhtar found out against India.

Lee and company will find that short-pitched bowling to him will be milked for runs.


The explosive and aggressive Virender Sehwag has not really got going at the same level, which will have the Aussies concerned since he will want to rectify that in the final. Rahul Dravid and Mohammed Kaif have been characteristically solid and reliable, finishing more than one match calmly. Yuvraj Singh has played match-winner a few times already, and is raring to repeat in the final: almost invariably, he tends to come good under the most pressure. Dinesh Mongia, who was adjudged international ODI batsman of the year last year, did well in the first game of the tournament and will work hard to make his presence felt at the Wanderers.
Ganguly, who has one of the world's best records as an opener in ODIs, is back in form and once he settles down, Lee and company will find that short-pitched bowling to him will be milked for runs. The bad news for Australia will be that their obsession with the best batsman in the world, Sachin Tendulkar, may hurt them because of the deep lineup of top-class batsman who are ready to take over when Tendulkar leaves.

 

[Gunther]

Adelaide 2006 was a good one too. Giles dropping him helped, but he still scored the runs.

Never seen a batsman as devastating as he was in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth of that series

 

[GentleMan]

W63L35, i didnt do a comparison, i didnt know it was a competition between which fan was more deluded..i thought the fun was about having predictions proven horribly wrong.. if i was for comparing, i would have found a "better' article.

but since you did selective reading..here are his assertions:

yes, the Pakistan cricket team – will win this World Cup and bring cricket and the trophy back to Pakistan
If we look at these players and their class individually, you will see we have the best:
Umar Gul: The robot of in-swinging fast bowling and Yorkers can bowl all 60 deliveries in his spell wherever he wants to.
Afridi: Everyone knows that once he starts batting there isn’t enough firepower in the world to take his wicket.

very lame W63L35, i thought i was only adding the fun of wrong predictions..i also called the indian fan who wrote it deluded..but instead of enjoying this article you are comparing it with the other one..

 

[W63L35]

W63L35, i didnt do a comparison, i didnt know it was a competition between which fan was more deluded..i thought the fun was about having predictions proven horribly wrong.. if i was for comparing, i would have found a "better' article.

but since you did selective reading..here are his assertions:

very lame W63L35, i thought i was only adding the fun of wrong predictions..i also called the indian fan who wrote it deluded..but instead of enjoying this article you are comparing it with the other one..

So now you can't count either. Let me ....

Pakistani article........
1 "will" and 20+ "CAN" or "HAVE".

Indian idiot:
20+ "will" and ..... I'll let you count "CAN" ...

Umar Gul: The robot of in-swinging fast bowling and Yorkers can bowl all 60 deliveries in his spell wherever he wants to.

) My was ...point....
"I can break your nose with a punch"! - anybody can "claim" do that.
"I will break your nose with a punch"! - STUPID CLAIM!

Afridi: Everyone knows that once he starts batting there isn’t enough firepower in the world to take his wicket.

Does the author mean that "HE WILL" ?

One more time....
"I can break your nose with a punch"! - anybody can "claim" to do that.
"I will break your nose with a punch"! - STUPID CLAIM!

 

[GentleMan]

again you are doing a comparison..and cherry picking lines, and basing your entire comparison on "can" and "will".. can shows the potency, will shows the intent.. you dont find it stupid that he says that umar gul can bowl all 60 balls wherever he wants?? that there is not enough firepower in the world if afridi gets batting? an everyone knows that?? i mean...there are such stupid claims in the article and yet you are defending them...and all that in a thread meant as a ricky ponting tribute..

come on, just because an indian posted a stupid article written by an emotional pakistani you dont have to defend it! i never defended that article by the emotional indian fan either.. i added one so that people get to laugh more at stupid predictions... no need to be insecure.

 

[GentleMan]

the best of ponting that i have seen was nottingham(or something similar) in ashes..where he had to grind and play an un-ponting like innings to save a match..i think he made 140 odd..with the stubble on his face and the worn out look..it made it look like a fighter who is giving it all..easily my favourite ponting inning because that was so out of character.

 

[W63L35]

W636ll23090nwwlusername is seriously obsessed with India(ns) lol

We all have our own little obsessions! Don't we? lol

 

[BlackThunder]

Another thread hijacked by W#L and turned into India and Pakistan catfight. Pathetic. The thread is about one of the legends of the game retiring lets keep it at that. There are plenty of India threads where you can release your frustration.

 

[GentleMan]

a little cameo of an innings that i remember..it was the famous 99 wc semi final..the ball was seaming all around and the other batsman (gilchrist) was playing and missing..but ponting came and made batting look easy on that pitch..he was hitting the ball really well..and got out to an attacking shot.. just checked the scorecard..he made 37 in 48 balls..so not worth mentioning if just go by scorecard..but in that match only he looked comfortable batting on a seaming wicket.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Ricky Ponting's catch!

Pulling off that kinda stuff at 38+ is quite amazing. Reminded me of the old days, damn Ponting hasn't changed much. Awesome catch!

 

[shahidafridi123]

Stunner.

 

[Reverselap]

Horrid player, who can't even bat well in the best tournament in the world, the IPL. Playing the best bowlers, like 147 kph speedster Vinay Kumar, Pointing shows how easy it is to hoodwink people into thinking you're good in Internationals. Indeed, IPL is the best measure, and he has failed. Sachin beats him hands down.

 

[Atif]

How Will You Remember Ricky Ponting?

Quality player who loved spitting in his own hands.

 

[Executioner]

Horrid player, who can't even bat well in the best tournament in the world, the IPL. Playing the best bowlers, like 147 kph speedster Vinay Kumar, Pointing shows how easy it is to hoodwink people into thinking you're good in Internationals. Indeed, IPL is the best measure, and he has failed. Sachin beats him hands down.

What a pathetic comment. How does performing in IPL measures one's talent?

IPL has plenty of mediocre cricketers around and performing against them is no big deal. Punter played during a time where he faced top bowlers after bowlers and usually emerged victourious.

Punter is beyond his prime, age has caught up with him. 5 years ago, if vinays and munafs faced ponting, those guys would have been smashed everywhere with disdain. And how does sachin beat him hands down? Ponting was a class on his own, a captain and great fielder too.

 

[leatherface58]

Re: How Will You Remember Ricky Ponting?

Lol Reverselap good sarcasm. But is it really sarcasm? I mean you rate Farhat more than Lara so...