OTD| One of Australia’s greatest cricketing talents Ricky Ponting was born in 1974

Former Australian captain and legend Ricky Ponting has turned 49 today. Whenever a cricket fan talks about Australian batting maestros, the name that closely follows Sir Don Bradman is Ricky Ponting. Punter, as he is famously known, captured the imagination of millions of Australian cricket fans with his batting and immaculate leadership skills. He is remembered not just as one of the greatest batters but as an inspirational leader as well. In his leadership, Australia won two ODI World Cup trophies and a couple of Champions Trophy titles, making him an exceptional captain. 

Ricky Ponting had earned recognition for his awe-inspiring batting skills at a very early age. He made his international debut in a One-Day international game against South Africa in 1995. The youngster did not have to wait much for his test debut as he played his first test in the same year against Sri Lanka at Perth. Ponting soon became a permanent feature in the Australian team and made his place in the 1996 World Cup squad as well. 

Evolution into a Leader

The swashbuckling right-hander played a key role in Australia’s glorious campaign in the 1999 ODI World Cup in England. 3 years later he was entrusted with the leadership responsibilities as Steve Waugh stepped down from captaincy. Ponting built his team and led it to the 2003 World Cup in South Africa which turned out to be an invincible campaign for the Kangaroos. Ponting lifted the World Cup trophy second time in a row but this time as the captain of the team. The Australian team under his captaincy repeated this feat in 2007 and became the world champions for the third time in a row establishing Ponting as one of the greatest captains in cricket history. 

Evaluating Ricky Ponting’s career on the parameter of stats would be an underestimation of his importance in Australian cricket. His significance in world cricket is beyond the extraordinary stats and records that he amassed throughout his legendary career.