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Brett Lee shared a story about Ricky Ponting: 

'When Ponting emerged in the 90s, no one knew what was coming from Ricky. I think it was about the cricket academy. Maybe it was the story of 1994-95. I was there, and we had to do one thing under the guidance of Rod Marsh. We had to face 12 balls. The ball was coming at a speed of 160 km per hour in the bowling machine. You can imagine that batsmen like me, who were not experts, were scared. Facing balls at the speed of 160 km per hour meant the ball could hit any part of the body.'  'Then Ricky Ponting reached the nets to bat without wearing a helmet. Rod Marsh asked, What are you doing? Ponting replied, I am batting. Ponting hit brilliantly on balls of 160 km/h speed and was not beaten by a single ball. He clearly said, This boy is going to play a lot of cricket for Australia.' 

 Marsh's prediction for Ponting proved to be absolutely correct.

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At just 9 years old, Ricky Ponting made Tasmania change its school cricket rules. He would bat entire days without getting out, staying unbeaten throughout the season. In response, Tasmania introduced a rule that players had to retire after scoring 30 runs. Ponting found a clever workaround—he’d take a single off the last delivery of each over, ensuring he could bat as long as possible. By eighth grade, Ponting had scored four centuries in a week, leading Kookaburra to offer him a sponsorship contract.


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Ricky Ponting's passion for cricket was ignited by his uncle, Greg Campbell, who played Test cricket for Australia in 1989-1990. Starting with the Mowbray U-13 team in 1985, Ponting stunned everyone in 1986 by scoring four centuries in the Northern Tasmania junior competition. After Grade 10, he dropped out of school to chase his cricket dream and spent two years at the Australian Institute of Sport's Cricket Academy srefining his batting. His talent quickly earned him a spot in the U-19 Tasmania team, where he scored an impressive 350 runs in 5 matches at the U-19 Championships. By November 1992, at just 17 years and 337 days, he made history as the youngest player to represent Tasmania in a Sheffield Shield match.

Rickey - School Time

Ricky Ponting’s meteoric rise began with impressive domestic performances, scoring 781 runs in his debut season, followed by 925 runs the next year. His consistency earned him a spot in the Australian squad in 1995. He made an immediate impact with 96 runs on his Test debut against Sri Lanka.  The 1996 World Cup, co-hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, was filled with drama from the start. Australia and the West Indies pulled out of Sri Lanka due to security fears after a b0mb blast in Colombo by the Tamil Tigers. Despite Sri Lanka’s reassurances, the ICC ruled in their favor, giving them both matches by forfeit, and they marched into the quarter-finals without even playing.   Australia entered as strong favorites, reaching their first final in nine years. Ponting shone early in this tournament, scoring a century against the West Indies. However, his form dipped in the knockout stages; he scored 31 in the quarter-final against New Zealand, a duck in the semi-final, and 45 in the final.  The defeat in the final was a turning point. Ponting, deeply frustrated by the loss, made a vow to play with total dominance. He shifted his mindset, aiming to never be outplayed again. This fiery resolve ignited the next chapter of his career, where he would lead Australia to unshakable dominance on the world stage.


Credit Star

After his Ashes debut in 1997, where he scored a brilliant 127 in Leeds, Ponting showed the world he was Australia’s future star. By 1999, with 11 centuries to his name, he proved his worth, scoring 354 runs in the World Cup final, helped Australia to victory.  In 2002, he took over the ODI captaincy, and in 2004, the Test captaincy. 

Under his leadership, Australia became an indomitable force. Ponting’s unforgettable 140* in the 2003 World Cup final against India was pivotal in securing Australia’s second consecutive title.  From 1999 to 2007, Ponting captained the best cricketing side ever, dominating the world with unrivaled consistency and power.  - Won 2 WCs (2003 & 2007). - Stayed unbeaten in 34 WC matches. - Beat England 5-0 in the Ashes - Achieved a record 16 consecutive Test wins.

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Ricky Ponting's career was often marred by controversies. 

- Ricky Ponting was fined during the 1997 Ashes tour and dropped from a one-day match for missing the team bus to a training session. There were also rumors circulating that he had been drunk at the time  

- In a wild incident in March 1998, he was thrown out of a Calcutta hotel after a drunken brawl at a discotheque. Ponting, partying with Indian cricketers and film stars, misbehaved with female guests and attempted to dance solo, violating club rules. When security intervened, Ponting escalated the situation by assaulting a staff member, resulting in a brawl. Staff had to forcibly remove him, escorting him back to his hotel. While Ponting claimed to have been beaten, eyewitnesses told a different story, and no formal police case was filed. 

controversies.But this wasn't the end. Ponting was fined by Cricket Australia, and more controversy followed. He faced disciplinary action after an altercation at a Sydney nightclub (2002), with scandalous photos of him embracing a woman. With a drinking problem spiraling out of control, Ponting publicly admitted his issues and vowed to seek counseling.

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Ricky Ponting went out for the evening. He was at the Bourbon & Beefsteak Bar at night when he got into a fight with the bartender, allegedly over being denied a drink.

Drunk Rickey Ponting
Drunk Rickey ponting

In 2005, Ricky Ponting found himself at the center of controversy when the ICC investigated his Kookaburra bat, "The Kahuna." The issue arose after it was discovered that the bat had a layer of graphite on the sticker at the back. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) joined the probe, and the verdict was clear: Ponting’s bat was deemed illegal. The ICC took swift action, and Kookaburra, the Australian bat manufacturer, voluntarily withdrew the graphite-reinforced bat from international cricket.

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Ricky Ponting’s career was no stranger to controversy, with multiple incidents that pushed the boundaries of fair play.

-  In the 2007-08 Sydney Test, Ponting controversially signaled to the umpire to dismiss Ganguly, 

- Ponting was involved in a shoulder-bump altercation with Harbhajan, which fueled tensions between Australia and India. 

- His temper also flared in 2008 when he lashed out at the Indian media over a disputed catch appeal, and the Indian media filed complaints to the BCCI.

Rickey vs harbhajan

Ricky Ponting's batting has faltered in recent years. After a dominant start to the decade with an average of 65.73 and a hundred every 2.81 Tests, his form has dropped sharply. In his last 32 Tests, he has scored just five centuries, with his average sinking to a modest 41.44. His once lofty career average of 59.99 after the 2006 Ashes has now fallen to 54.79. A key issue has been his inability to convert fifties into hundreds, a problem that has plagued him and the Australian team.   Ricky Ponting’s Ashes nightmare continued as he failed to inspire his team, scoring just 20 after being fined 40% of his match fee for arguing with the umpires. His series total stood at a dismal 113 runs at an average of 16.14. His leadership was questioned as his form wavered, unable to lift Australia when needed most. At 36, the once-dominant batsman appeared to be losing control.

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The final blow to his captaincy came in 2011, when Australia was knocked out by India in the World Cup quarterfinals, forcing him to resign soon after. Despite standing in as captain and averaging 80 at home in recent series in other formats, Ponting was dropped from the ODI squad during the Tri-Series. He bid farewell to ODIs, focusing on Tests. However, his form continued to deteriorate, leading to heavy criticism. Eventually, Ponting retired from Test cricket, ending his illustrious career.

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Rickey Ponting Stats:

Career Batting Stats
Format
Matches
Innings
Not Outs
Runs
High Score
Average
Balls Faced
Strike Rate
Hundreds
Fifties
Fours
Sixes
Test
1995–12
168
287
29
13378
257
51.9
22782
58.7
41
62
1509
73
ODI
1995–12
375
365
39
13704
164
42.0
17046
80.4
30
82
1231
162
T20I
2005–09
17
16
2
401
98*
28.6
302
132.8
0
2
41
11
IPL
2008–13
10
9
0
91
28
10.1
128
71.1
0
0
5
2
1st class
1992–13
289
494
62
24150
257
55.9
39885
-
82
106
2777
148
List A
1992–13
456
445
53
16363
164
41.7
19891
-
34
99
1413
190
T20
2004–13
48
43
3
909
98*
22.7
819
111.0
0
5
75
25