Few sportsmen or women get to retire with as much goodwill from the people they represent as erstwhile Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting. As an Englishman, mine is a grudging respect for the man that led his team through a period of unqualified success – often at my country’s expense.
Ponting won 48 of the 77 tests in which he captained Australia, making him statistically the most successful Test captain of all time. To listen to those who played under him, he not only led successfully, but with class.
Writing for the BBC, former Australia batsman Justin Langer, said of Ponting: “There is not a person I have met who has earned more respect.
“Most people have some critics but you would have to travel to all corners of the earth to find a person who has met Rick and doesn’t admire and love him for everything he is.”
History is written by the winners, but Ponting’s success and respect is perhaps best highlighted by the attitude of those that sought to see him fail.
Opposition supporters, from England and India regularly booed the man when batting. Ponting himself was to blame for some of this: he was a fierce competitor who didn’t take kindly to losing, something many England fans will remember from his run out during the classic Ashes series of 2005.
Yet, in private, Ponting is a good man, a family man, who afforded his opponents much goodwill. And much of the booing was born of jealousy: England would have killed to have had him on their side.
In his last innings this weekend, against South Africa, Ponting walked to the crease through a guard of honour formed by Graeme Smith and his team of Proteas. A classy farewell for a classy player and leader. Cricket will miss him.
Promotion:
Greg LeMond
The cycling legend may run for president of the sports governing body the UCI. In light of the Lance Armstrong fiasco, cycling needs another anti-doping hero, Bradley Wiggins can’t do it on his own.
Relegation:
Arsenal
There has been a noticeable loss of quality at the club since the resignation of David Dein, argues The Guardian’s Richard Williams. He’s right, of course, and his argument highlights the importance of back-room machinations to a club’s continued success.