Ricky Ponting to make his announcement this week

*Updated: Ricky Ponting gave his announcement to carry on playing Test cricket and it seems inevitable that he will move away from the limited overs format now.
As I had hoped, he will play further cricket for Tasmania as well as club cricket while carrying on wearing the Baggy Green cap is now his focus.
Wishing him nothing but epic success for what remains. He had nothing more to prove and it opens an opportunity for another player ready to stamp his mark as a breakthrough ODI batsman.

The big news this week is that Ricky Ponting has been dropped from the ODI side following 5 games where the maestro of Australian batting was unable to deliver substantial contributions following one of his most epic Test series in Australia. It’s baffling and quite upsetting that things have gone from such a high to a low, to the point where we are awaiting a decision from Punter with regards to his future.

For the two most up-to-date sources: Cricinfo source 1, Cricinfo source 2.

Understandably this decision was a bold one and kudos to John Inverarity and his selectors as I wouldn’t have wanted to have made this call, but it’s the nature of competitive sport.
Given the competitive character and inner fight that makes Punter one of sports grittiest blokes around, he would have been numbed by this but no doubt he’d see the reasoning.
He’s a team player and that is why I have always held him in high regard and why he’s inspired me.

The question now is whether Punter will call it a day for just limited overs cricket and be able to cash in on some State cricket for Tassie as his Test career continues for 12 months or more, or maybe this will make him re-evaluate his prospects to rather focus on his family and personal matters and retire altogether from the game that has been his life.

I wonder, given his love of the game, whether he would consider fading out in the State cricket scene, but this seems unlikely given the limited amount of cricket he has played for Tassie since the early 2000s.
Should Punter decide to carry on with Test cricket, he’ll need an avenue to stay sharp given after the Windies Tour (3 Tests) there won’t be a great deal of cricket to follow.

So, we will have to wait for the decision but irrespective of how Punter is capable of turning things around, this may very well be the end of a remarkable ODI career.
What a career! Longevity doesn’t come easy and only the best of the best have this opportunity due to their raw talent, ability to adapt and dedication to good work ethic.

The thought of not seeing Punter playing cricket again is a sad thought for me and the reason why this news has upset me. I am by no means questioning the National Selection Panel.
If anything I admire them for their recent transparency, especially regarding this decision and the appointment of Matt Wade as the full time ODI wicket keeper for Australia.

I’ve said all I needed to say on this blog over the last 4 years as to how Punter has inspired me since I was a 9 year old kid with cricketing dreams and how the values of his profession I have somewhat admired and tried to carry through within avenues of my life outside the game.
It’s important to acknowledge those who inspire us, whether we know them personally or through their trade.

Cricket is just a game but knowing the challenges and sacrifices players make to get to the elite level in this ever-changing, highly competitive world makes you see the bigger picture.

Should this be the end of Punter’s ODI career, here’s a look at his statistics with some personal video highlights.
We can expect a decision this week (quite likely Tuesday) as to what Punter decides to do for his future in the game.

From The Baggy Green Blog we wish him all the best with this tough decision.

Ricky Ponting ODI Career statistics:
Played : 375
Innings : 365
NO : 39
Avg : 42.03
Runs : 13,074
HS : 164
SR : 80-39
100s : 30
50s : 82
4’s : 1231
6’s : 162

Catches : 160
Bowling : 5 innings, 3 wickets, 150 runs, BBI 1-12, Average 34.66

List of ODI Centuries (score, opposition, city, when)

164 v South Africa, Johannesburg 12 Mar 2006
145 v Zimbabwe, Delhi 11 Apr 1998
141 * v New Zealand, Napier 5 Mar 2005
140 * v India, Johannesburg 23 Mar 2003
134 * v New Zealand, Hobart 20 Dec 2007
129 v South Africa, Bloemfontein 30 Mar 2002
126 2 v England, Nottingham 15 Sep 2009
124 * v Pakistan, Lahore 10 Nov 1998
124 v Sri Lanka, Sydney 12 Feb 2006
124 v India, Sydney 24 Feb 2008
123 v Sri Lanka, Melbourne 9 Jan 1996
119 v England, Melbourne 15 Dec 2002
115 v India, Melbourne 12 Jan 2000
115 v Asia XI, Melbourne 10 Jan 2005
114 v Sri Lanka, Centurion 7 Mar 2003
113 v Scotland, Basseterre 14 Mar 2007
111 * v England, Centurion 2 Oct 2009
111 v England, Lord's 10 Jul 2005
111 v New Zealand, Perth 28 Jan 2007
108 * v India, Bangalore 12 Nov 2003
107 * v New Zealand, Adelaide 14 Dec 2007
106 * v Sri Lanka, Melbourne 21 Jan 2003
106 v West Indies, Brisbane 14 Feb 2010
104 v New Zealand, Melbourne 4 Feb 2007
104 v India, Ahmedabad 24 Mar 2011
102 v West Indies, Jaipur 4 Mar 1996
102 v England, Bristol 10 Jun 2001
101 v India, Visakhapatnam 3 Apr 2001
101 v Bangladesh, Darwin 6 Aug 2003
100 v New Zealand, Melbourne 21 Jan 1998

Centuries in Australia: 14
Centuries out of Australia: 16

World Cup Statistics:

1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 World Cups.

Played: 46 matches
Runs: 1743
Avg: 45.86
HS: 140*
100s: 5
50s: 6

1996 World Cup: 7 matches, 229 runs, HS 102, Average 32.71,  x1 100s

1999 World Cup: 10 matches, 354 runs, HS 69, Average 39.33

2003 World Cup: 11 matches, 415 runs, HS 140*, Average 51.87, x2 100s

2007 World Cup: 11 matches, 539 runs, HS 113, Average 67.37, x1 100

2011 World Cup: 7 matches, 206 runs, HS 104, Average 34.33, x1 100

As Captain he averaged 52.72 in World Cups and 36.43 not as Captain.
Quite a number of achievements here, let alone 13,074 runs with 30 centuries.

134* vs New Zealand in 2007.


140* vs India in the 2003 World Cup final. Classic!


164 vs South Africa in the 438 game, 2006.


Century in the 2011 World Cup Quarter Final vs India.



This image was my first introduction to Punter back in 1994/95. When I saw him live I was instantly an avid follower of his career. It's been epic to have followed his 17 year career.


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