Who is Ricky Ponting?
Ricky Ponting is a former Australian cricket captain and one of the most prolific batters in history. He scored 13,378 Test runs, the most by any Australian, and led Australia to two World Cup titles.
Ponting was born in Launceston, Tasmania, in 1974. Known as Punter, he made his Test debut in 1995 and became famous for his aggressive batting, especially his pull shot.
He scored 41 Test centuries and 30 one-day international centuries. He was the leading run scorer for Australia in Tests and ODIs when he retired in 2012.
Captaincy
Ponting became Australia's one-day captain in 2002 and Test captain in 2004. He led Australia to World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007, scoring an unbeaten 140 in the 2003 final against India.
He also captained Australia during the 2006 to 2007 Ashes series, which Australia won 5-0. However, he also lost three Ashes series as captain, including two in England in 2005 and 2009.
After retiring, Ponting became a respected commentator and coach, including in the Indian Premier League. He was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2006 and inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
Did You Know?
Ponting was also part of Australia's 1999 World Cup winning team.