Ricky Ponting
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Template:Infobox Cricketer Ricky Thomas Ponting --- also known as "punter" or just simply "punt" --- (Born December 19, 1974, in Launceston, Tasmania) is the present captain of the Australian One-Day and Test cricket teams. He is one of the world's leading batsmen in both forms of the game, as of June 2004 having made 6946 runs in 88 Tests at the outstanding batting average of 56.47, and 7987 runs at 42.25 (and with the good strike rate of 78) in 222 one-day international matches.
Unlike many Australian cricketers, Ponting's talents were quickly rewarded with selection, playing for Tasmania at age 17, and his test debut coming against Sri Lanka in the 1995/96 season at age 20. Early off-field difficulties, involving him on two occasions getting excessively drunk while on tour, and once becoming involved in a bar fight, saw him temporarily dropped from the team in 1999, but aside from an ankle injury in 2000 he has been a permanent fixture in the team, mostly batting in the number 3 position where the best batsman in the team is traditionally played.
With a more mature attitude and the appointment of the thirty-something Steve Waugh as captain in 1999, speculation began soon after that Ponting was destined for the Australian captaincy, particularly after his appointment to the vice-captaincy in 2000. With the dropping of Waugh from the one-day team in 2002, Ponting became captain, leading his team to a dominant performance in the 2003 cricket World Cup which was highlighted by the complete demolition of the undisputed second-best team in the tournament, India, in the final with a brilliant unbeaten 140-run innings. With Waugh's retirement, he assumed the Test captaincy and continued Australia's success in that form of the game, notably whitewashing Sri Lanka 3-0 in Sri Lanka, a rare achievement on the "subcontinent".
Like many Australian batsmen, he is particularly strong against pace bowling, with the full array of back foot shots, including the pull, hook, and square cut. Early on, he was regarded as a near-compulsive hooker and vulnerable to being caught at fine leg; he has latterly moderated this tendency. He is less effective against spin bowling on flat pitches; his Test record in India, for instance, is terrible.
He occasionally bowls medium pace and is an outstanding fielder at slip or in the covers, due to his ability to hit the stumps.
In 2004, Ponting was named Leading Cricketer in the World by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
With the now-large financial rewards of international cricket, Ponting is a full-time professional cricketer. His one well-known off-field interest is betting on horse and greyhound races, as indicated by his nickname, "Punter".
He married his long-time girlfriend, law student Rianna Cantor, in June 2002.
Endorsements
He is seen in a television advertisement for an deodorant and anti-perspirant product (Unilever's Rexona (http://www.consumerlink.unilever.com.au/Deodorants+and+AntiPerspirants/Brand/Rexona/)) where he is shown supposedly batting against an overwhelming number of bowlers, and subsequently shows no marks or odor.
Template:Australian batsmen with a test batting average above 50
| Preceded by: Adam Gilchrist | Australian Test cricket captains 2003/4-2004 2004/5 - present | Succeeded by: current |
| Preceded by: Adam Gilchrist | Australian One-day International cricket captains 2001/2 - present | Succeeded by: current External links
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