റിക്കി പോണ്ടിംഗ് വിരമിക്കുന്നു
ഓസ്ട്രേലിയൻ മുൻ ക്യാപ്റ്റൻ റിക്കി പോണ്ടിംഗ് അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര ക്രിക്കറ്റിൽ നിന്നും വിരമിക്കുന്നതായി പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു. പെർത്തിൽ ദക്ഷിണാഫ്രിക്കയ്ക്കെതിരെ നടക്കുന്ന മൂന്നാം ടെസ്റ്റിന് ശേഷമായിരിക്കും വിരമിക്കൽ പ്രഖ്യാപനം.വിരമിക്കലിന് പിന്നിൽ സെലക്ടർമാരുടെ സമ്മർദ്ദമില്ലെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞ പോണ്ടിംഗ് തന്റെ പ്രകടനത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് സ്വയം നടത്തിയ പരിശോധനയിലാണ് തീരുമാനമെടുത്തതെന്നും കൂട്ടിച്ചേർത്തു.
അഡ്ലയിഡയിൽ ദക്ഷിണാഫ്രിക്കയ്ക്കെതിരെ നടന്ന ആദ്യ ടെസ്റ്റിന്റെ രണ്ട് ഇന്നിംഗ്സിലും പോണ്ടിംഗ് ബൗൾഡായിരുന്നു. 1995ൽ ക്രിക്കറ്റിൽ അരങ്ങേറിയ ശേഷം രണ്ടാം തവണയാണ് ഇങ്ങനെ സംഭവിക്കുന്നത്. 166 ടെസ്റ്റ് കളിച്ച പോണ്ടിംഗ് 13366 റൺസും 41 സെഞ്ച്വറികളും നേടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. 375 ഏകദിനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നായി 13704 റൺസും 30 സെഞ്ച്വറികളുമാണ് റിക്കിയുടെ നേട്ടം. 2003ലെയും 2007ലെയും ലോകകപ്പ് ഓസ്ട്രേലിയ നേടിയത് പോണ്ടിംഗിന്റെ നായകത്വത്തിന് കീഴിലാണ്.
RICKY PONTING ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM TEST
CRICKET
Ricky Ponting, one of the finest batsmen in contemporary
cricket and Australia’s middle order bulwark for years, announced his
retirement from international cricket on Thursday, bringing down the curtains
on an illustrious career spanning 17 years. Ponting, who will retire after the
third Test against South Africa beginning here tomorrow, told a hastily-called
press conference that he was calling it quits as he has not being performing
for some time to the level he had desired.The former Australian captain, who
will turn 38 next month, has scored 13,366 Test runs from 167 matches at an
average of 52.21, second only to India’s Sachin Tendulkar (15562 from 192
matches). He made his Test debut in 1995 against Sri Lanka at the same venue
where he will walk into Test sunset.In the 375 ODIs he has played, Ponting
accumulated 13,704 runs, scoring 30 centuries, with a highest score of 164 and
an average of 42.03. He has, however, not played in the ODIs since being
dropped from the team in February this year. Ponting said he was retiring as
his level of performance was not good enough to continue in the Australian
team.
“It’s a decision I thought long and hard about, put in
long consideration about the decision. Over the last couple of weeks my level
of performance hasn’t been good enough. At the end of the day it was about my
results and my output in this series so far,” Ponting said.“It hasn’t been to
the level required for batsmen and players in the Australian team. I’ve given
cricket my all. I haven’t been performing consistently over the last 12-18
months. I believe now is the right time to be making this decision,” said an
emotional Ponting with the entire Australian squad by his side at the press
conference.Nicknamed ‘Punter’ by Shane Warne for his penchant for a bet (punt)
on the greyhounds, Ponting has scored 41 centuries, third in the all-time list
behind Tendulkar (51) and South African Jacques Kallis (44).Against India, he
has scored 2555 Test runs from 29 matches and 51 innings at an average of 54.36
with the 257 in the first innings in the third Test in Melbourne in December
2003 being the highest.He has three double tons, five centuries and 12 half
centuries against India.The right-handed batsman, however, has a poor record on
Indian soil with just 662 runs from 14 matches and 25 innings spread over six
tours with an ordinary average of 26.48. He has hit just a century in India -
the 123 in the first innings of the Bangalore Test in October 2008. He has five
half centuries in India.
There were reports that Ponting met the selectors ahead
of the third Test after failing to perform in the two games of the high-profile
three-match series, but he said he was quitting on his own terms.“I’m glad I
have got the opportunity to finish on my terms. This is a decision not made by
the selectors, it was made by me,” he said.Ponting’s wife Rianna and two
daughters Emmy and Mattise along with manager James Henderson were with him for
the announcement. He said he would continue to play for Tasmania this season.Ponting
will equal former captain Steve Waugh’s record of of 168 Tests when he retires,
the most in the history of Australian cricket.The Tasmanian is the highest
Australian run-scorer of all time and has been described as the greatest
Australian batsman after Sir Donald Bradman.Following a poor start to the Test
series with low scores in Brisbane and Adelaide, Ponting said he was troubled
by the “tentative” manner of his dismissals.
Asked about his future plans after retirement, Ponting
gestured towards his wife and children and said, “I’ve got a few months of
cricket yet, which I am really looking forward to. I really enjoyed the start
of this season playing cricket with Tasmania and back with some of my mates. I
haven’t spent a lot of time for near on the last 20 years. So I’ll enjoy that
for what it is, but this is my new team here,” Ponting said, pointing to his
family.As for the question of his contribution to cricket, Ponting had a simple
answer.“I know I’ve given cricket my all. It’s been life for 20 years. Not much
more I can give,” he said.Addressing the press conference after Ponting left
the scene, a teary Australian captain Michael Clarke was so overwhelmed by
emotion that he could not answer a question to reflect on his predecessor’s
retirement.
“I didn’t have a feeling it was coming. Ricky spoke to me
after the Adelaide Test match and made his decision I guess over the last few
days. The boys are obviously hurting at the moment. He’s been an amazing player
for a long time ... and that’ll do me for today. Sorry, I can’t answer that.”Ponting
has managed just 20 runs from three innings in two Tests so far against South
Africa. He has not scored a century since the 221 against India in Adelaide in
January this year. Ponting has won more Tests as captain (48 out of 77 matches)
than any other Australian and has an astonishing success rate of almost 72
percent as the country’s one-day leader, winning 164 of his 228 games.He had
already called a halt on his captaincy of the Test and one-day team in March
last year, but continued as a playerDespite skippering Australia in more than
300 Test and one-day matches, taking over from Steve Waugh, his magnificent
innings were blighted by three Ashes series losses as captain.As captain he
oversaw a painful transition in Australian cricket in the wake of several
high-profile retirements, including Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist,
Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer.
But even with such greats in the ranks, Ponting, as
captain, lost the 2005 Ashes in England. Despite engineering a 5-0 revenge in
the ensuing home series in 2006/07, he again lost in 2009 and 2010/11.That last
failure was badly received in Australia —— it was their first Ashes loss at
home for 24 years and followed a series of defeats by Ponting—led teams.Australia
lost a home series against South Africa for the first time in 2008/09 and a
two-match series in India in 2010.Ponting had a rocky beginning in the public
eye and was banned for three matches in 1999 by the (then) Australian Cricket
Board following an early-morning brawl in a Sydney bar.A contrite Ponting, with
a blackened eye, gave a press conference the next day to apologise, but he
matured into a valued mentor in the Australian team over time.His fierce
competitiveness also brought him trouble. He was reprimanded by the
International Cricket Council for damaging a dressing room television in an
angry reaction to being run out against Zimbabwe at the World Cup in India.Ponting
is known as a campaigner against cancer and established The Ponting Foundation
with his wife Rianna to raise money for young Australians afflicted by the
disease.
ഓസ്ട്രേലിയൻ മുൻ ക്യാപ്റ്റൻ റിക്കി പോണ്ടിംഗ് അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര ക്രിക്കറ്റിൽ നിന്നും വിരമിക്കുന്നതായി പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു. പെർത്തിൽ ദക്ഷിണാഫ്രിക്കയ്ക്കെതിരെ നടക്കുന്ന മൂന്നാം ടെസ്റ്റിന് ശേഷമായിരിക്കും വിരമിക്കൽ പ്രഖ്യാപനം.വിരമിക്കലിന് പിന്നിൽ സെലക്ടർമാരുടെ സമ്മർദ്ദമില്ലെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞ പോണ്ടിംഗ് തന്റെ പ്രകടനത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് സ്വയം നടത്തിയ പരിശോധനയിലാണ് തീരുമാനമെടുത്തതെന്നും കൂട്ടിച്ചേർത്തു.
അഡ്ലയിഡയിൽ ദക്ഷിണാഫ്രിക്കയ്ക്കെതിരെ നടന്ന ആദ്യ ടെസ്റ്റിന്റെ രണ്ട് ഇന്നിംഗ്സിലും പോണ്ടിംഗ് ബൗൾഡായിരുന്നു. 1995ൽ ക്രിക്കറ്റിൽ അരങ്ങേറിയ ശേഷം രണ്ടാം തവണയാണ് ഇങ്ങനെ സംഭവിക്കുന്നത്. 166 ടെസ്റ്റ് കളിച്ച പോണ്ടിംഗ് 13366 റൺസും 41 സെഞ്ച്വറികളും നേടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. 375 ഏകദിനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നായി 13704 റൺസും 30 സെഞ്ച്വറികളുമാണ് റിക്കിയുടെ നേട്ടം. 2003ലെയും 2007ലെയും ലോകകപ്പ് ഓസ്ട്രേലിയ നേടിയത് പോണ്ടിംഗിന്റെ നായകത്വത്തിന് കീഴിലാണ്.
പ്രൊഫ്. ജോണ് കുരാക്കാര്
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