A captain like no other

Between January 1999 and February 2002, Ricky Ponting underwent a voluntary personality transformation. From being banned for three matches following a drunken pub brawl to being pushed up to Australia’s captaincy – the distance Punter traversed was huge.

Always pugnacious and ready for a tussle, Ponting had to temper his ugly Aussie instincts before he became the respected leader of an exceptionally gifted bunch of individuals. His batting remained as attacking as ever, the impudent pull shot still a cause of great worry for bowlers who consistently targeted the middle of the pitch, although through the years he took a considerable amount of flak for being a defensive captain.

Ponting had the huge boots of Steve Waugh to fill. What he inherited was a world-beating side - one whose constituents shone out like the who’s who 1990s cricket: Hayden, Langer, the Waugh twins, Warne, Gilchrist, McGrath - and a golden legacy that warranted no less effort or involvement on the part of the new captain to sustain.

Ponting won 48 of his 77 Tests at the helm, tasting greatest success when he took over the reins. He led the team to 16 consecutive Test wins – emulating his predecessor in doing so – but lost steam once the greats retired their way out of the team. Ponting also won three World Cups – two as captain – but was also the first Australian skipper to lose three Ashes.

Bequeathed a side full of stars, Ponting’s situation was different was Waugh’s when took over in just one aspect; although the nucleus of the squad was the same in identity, it was older, closer to the date of its denouement. Once the big names bowed out, Ponting’s captaincy – and his own batting – took a beating. 

He played under Michael Clarke in the last year or so as Australia once again began a process of renewal in the same manner as Alan Border had in the middle 1980s after the tearful departure of Kim Hughes. Here’s how Ponting measures up in figures against the other top helmsmen of Australian cricket.