Ricky Ponting

About Ricky Ponting

Ricky Thomas Ponting, AO (born 19 December 1974), nicknamed Punter, is an Australian former cricketer who was captain of the Australia national cricket team during its 'golden era'; between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very occasional bowler. He is the only Australian test captain to have led his side to three separate Ashes series defeats, but led Australia to victory at the 2003 and 2007 cricket world cups and was also a member of the 1999 world cup winning team under Steve Waugh.

He represents the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian domestic cricket, the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, and played in the Indian Premier League with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008. He is widely considered by many to be one of the best batsmen of the modern era, along with Sachin Tendulkar of India and Brian Lara of the West Indies. On 1 December 2006, he reached the highest rating achieved by a Test batsman in the last 50 years.

Ponting made his first-class debut for Tasmania in November 1992, when just 17 years and 337 days old, becoming the youngest Tasmanian to play in a Sheffield Shield match. However, he had to wait until 1995 before making his One Day International (ODI) debut, during a quadrangular tournament in New Zealand in a match against South Africa. His Test debut followed shortly after, when selected for the first Test of the 1995 home series against Sri Lanka in Perth, in which he scored 96. He lost his place in the national team several times in the period before early-1999, due to lack of form and discipline, before becoming One Day International captain in early-2002 and Test captain in early-2004.

After being involved in over 160 Tests and 370 ODIs, Ponting is Australia's leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket. He is one of only four players (along with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis) in history to have scored 13,000 Test runs. Statistically, he is one of the most successful captains of all time, with 48 victories in 77 Tests between 2004 and 31 December 2010. As a player, Ricky Ponting is the only cricketer in history to be involved in 100 Test victories.Ponting also holds the record to have been involved in maximum ODI victories as a player with 262 wins.

On 29 November 2012 Ponting announced his retirement from Test cricket, the day before he would play in the Perth Test against South Africa. This was his 168th and last Test appearance,equalling the Australian record held by Steve Waugh.Ricky Ponting retired on 3 December 2012 with a Test batting average of 51.85.He continued to play cricket around the world. In February 2013 it was announced that he would be captaining the Mumbai Indians team in the Indian Premier League.and in March 2013 he was announced as the first international franchise player for the Caribbean Premier League.Later that month it was revealed by Ponting that this would be his last season playing cricket, as at the end of the competition he would be retiring from all forms of the game

Ricky Ponting Achievements

Twin centuries in 100th Test:

In any case, Australia were untroubled during the 2005–06 season. They whitewashed the West Indies 3–0 before defeating South Africa 2–0 in three Tests. They then reciprocated South Africa's tour and recorded a 3–0 whitewash in the Tests. In the series against the West Indies, Ponting scored a century in each innings of the First Test in Brisbane, 149 and 104 not out. In his first Test as captain in front of the Tasmanian public, Ponting managed 17 and 0 not out, and he ended the series with 329 runs at 82.25.

Ponting was in a rich vein of form against the South Africans. After scoring 71 and 53 in the drawn First Test in Perth, Ponting scored 117 on Boxing Day in the Second Test at the MCG. Australia won the match and Ponting scored 120 and 143 not out to end the series and start the New Year with a dramatic win in the Third Test at the SCG. South African captain Graeme Smith declared on the final morning of a rain-curtailed match and tried to open up the game in a bid to equal the series. He left Australia a target of 287 runs in 76 overs, and Ponting made 143 not out in only 159 balls to secure an eight-wicket win. It was the first time anyone had scored two centuries in their 100th Test and Ponting was named man of the match and man of the series. He had scored 515 runs at 103.00.

Allan Border Medal-2006,2007,20009:

Ricky Ponting has won the award four times

The Allan Border Medal is considered to be the most prestigious individual prize in Australian cricket. First awarded in 2000, the medal is named after former Australian captain Allan Border and recognises the most outstanding Australian cricketer of the past season as voted by his peers, the media and umpires. Votes are cast after each game on a 3–2–1 basis, with a weighting applied to give both One Day International and Test players an equal chance of winning the award.

Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy-2006,2007:

The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy is a cricket trophy awarded annually by the International Cricket Council to its chosen world player of the Year. It was first awarded in 2004 to Rahul Dravid.

The trophy is handcrafted by leading international crystal manufacturer Swarovski. The design features a red crystal cricket ball studded with over 4200 Swarovski crystal chantons, resting on a brass hand extended from a gold-plated base.

The trophy is named after former West Indies cricket captain Sir Garfield Sobers, whose name was chosen by a panel consisting of Richie Benaud, Sunil Gavaskar and Michael Holding. They were asked by the ICC to select "an individual with whom to honour cricket's ultimate individual award"

Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World-2004:

The Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World award was introduced in 2004 to complement the long-standing Wisden Cricketer of the Year awards, which are still given to five players each year.

The accolade is awarded by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack to the player who has made the most dominant performances in the year before the publication of each year's almanack (roughly early in the calendar year preceding publication to early in the calendar year of publication). Unlike the Wisden Cricketer of the Year awards, the distinction of Leading Cricketer of the World can be given to the same player more than once.

Compton–Miller Medal-2006:

The award is named after two great cricketers – the batsman Denis Compton of England and the all-rounder Keith Miller of Australia. According to David Collier, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), "Denis Compton had the post-war status of a matinee idol – with a love of life and a love of living life to the full. It was an attitude he shared with Keith Miller and they became not only great rivals but also great friends."

The new medal was announced just before the first Test in 2005 Ashes series, with Miller's widow Marie Challman and Compton's son Richard representing the two men honoured in the award's title. The two captains for the series, Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting, were also present.

ICC Awards:

Player of the Year(2006): Ricky Ponting

Test Player of the Year(2006): Ricky Ponting