Rickey Ponting is an Australian cricket coach, commentator, and former cricketer. Ponting was captain of the Australian national team during its "golden era", between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and is the most successful captain in international cricket history, with 220 victories in 324 matches with a winning rate of 67.91%. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time and in December 2006 reached the highest rating achieved by a Test batsman for 50 years, although this was surpassed by Steve Smith in December 2017. He stands third in the list of cricketers by number of international centuries scored.

Domestically, Ponting played for his home state of Tasmania as well as Tasmania's Hobart Hurricanes in Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition, the Big Bash League. He played as a specialist right-handed batsman, an excellent slip fielder, as well as a very occasional bowler. He led Australia to their second 5–0 Ashes win as well as victory at the 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups and was also a member of the 1999 World Cup winning team under Steve Waugh. He led Australia to consecutive ICC Champions Trophy victory in 2006 and 2009. Combative and at times a controversial captain, statistically he is one of the most successful Test captains of all time, with 48 victories in 77 Tests between 2004 and 31 December 2010. As a player, Ponting is the only cricketer in history to be involved in 100 Test victories and was involved in the most ODI victories as a player, with 262 wins, having played in over 160 Tests and 370 ODIs.

A prolific batter, Ponting is Australia's leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket. He was named “Cricketer of the Decade 2000” was named in the country's best Ashes XI in a Cricket Australia poll in 2017 and in July 2018 he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. He is the current assistant coach of the Australian national men's cricket team, having been appointed to the role in February 2019.

Ponting announced his retirement from Test cricket in November 2012, the day before playing in his final Test against South Africa; this was his 168th and last Test appearance, equalling the Australian record held by Steve Waugh. He retired with a Test batting average of 51.85, although he continued to play cricket around the world until 2013.

1974-1995: Early Life

Birth and Personal Life

Born in Launceston, Tasmania, on 19 December 1974, Ricky Ponting is the eldest of Graeme and Lorraine Ponting's four children. Graeme was "a good club cricketer" and played Australian rules football, while Lorraine was a state vigoro champion. His uncle Greg Campbell played Test cricket for Australia in 1989 and 1990. Ponting's parents first lived in Prospect 4.1 km (2.5 mi) south of city centre; however, they moved into the working-class area of Newnham, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of central Launceston.

After marrying his long-time girlfriend, law student Rianna Cantor, in June 2002, Ponting credited her as the reason for his increased maturity. The couple have three children.

Junior Ranks

Introduced to cricket by father Graeme and uncle Greg Campbell, Ponting played for the Mowbray Under-13s team at the age of 11 in 1985–86. In January 1986, he took part in the five-day annual Northern Tasmania junior cricket competition. After scoring four centuries in a week, bat manufacturer Kookaburra gave Ponting a sponsorship contract while in just eighth grade mainly on the back of these four centuries. Ponting took this form into the Under-16s week-long competition less than a month later, scoring an even century on the final day. Ted Richardson, the former head of the Northern Tasmanian Schools Cricket Association said: "Ricky is certainly the equal of David Boon at this level.

Australian Rules football was also a big part of Ponting's sporting life, and is a keen follower of the North Melbourne Kangaroos. During the winter he played junior football for North Launceston and up until he was 14, it could have become a possible sporting option. This was before he broke the humerus in his right arm playing for North Launceston Under-17s as a 13-year-old. Ponting's arm was so badly damaged, it had to be pinned Told to endure a 14-week lay-off, he never played competitive football again.

During Tasmanian Sheffield Shield matches at the NTCA Ground (Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association Ground), Ponting helped out with the scoreboard, thereby surrounding himself with international cricketers. After leaving school at the end of year 10 in 1990, he began work as a groundsman at Scotch Oakburn College, a private school in Launceston. In 1991 the Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association sponsored Ponting to attend a fortnight's training at the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide. The two weeks turned into a full two-year sponsorship as he was said to be the best 17-year-old batsman Academy coach Rod Marsh had ever seen.

Playing five games for Tasmania for the 1992 Under-19 carnival in Perth, Ponting scored 350 runs, earning him selection in the 13-man national Under-19 development squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa—the first Australian cricket team to make an official tour to the country since Bill Lawry's team in 1970.

1995-1999: Early International Career

Australian Debut

Ponting's domestic performances were rewarded when he was selected for the Australian ODI team to play in all the matches in the 1995 New Zealand Centenary quadrangular tournament in New Zealand, that also included South Africa and India. Ponting made his debut against South Africa at number six in the batting order. He scored one from six balls, as Australia successfully chased South Africa's target on a difficult batting track. Australia secured another victory in their next match, this time against New Zealand in Auckland, where Ponting scored 10 not out, after coming to wicket late in the innings. His highest series score came in the third International where Australia lost to India in Dunedin. Ponting was promoted to number three in the batting order and responded by scoring 62 from 92 balls. The innings was scored without a boundary and was based on “deft placement and judicious running.” The loss failed to stop Australia from appearing in the final against New Zealand in Auckland. Ponting returned to number six and was seven not out when the winning runs were scored. He finished the series with 80 runs at 40 and strike rate of 71.42 runs per hundred balls.

Greg Shipperd publicly suggested that Ponting could be selected as a reserve wicket-keeper for the upcoming West Indies tour, despite not keeping-wicket for Tasmania. However, he had kept wicket in pre-season matches and during centre wicket practice. In any case Ponting was selected as a specialist batsman. "... It was like all my birthdays had come at once. I had some reservations about making my Test debut against arguably the best fast bowling attack in the world", Ponting later said. The West Indies had been cricket's powerhouse for close to two decades and teams included many feared fast bowlers. Before the tour, Australian captain Mark Taylor thought the last Test batting vacancy was possibly between Ponting and Justin Langer. "Ricky Ponting is more the stroke player while Justin is the tough man. It depends on what we need at the time but you can probably say Ricky has his neck in front because he's been on this tour [of New Zealand]", Taylor said. Rod Marsh believed Ponting's attitude and fearless approach could tear the West Indies apart. Nevertheless, Ponting did not expect to be selected. Steve Waugh noted that Ponting would “not be intimidated by the West Indians' inevitable waist-to-chin length.” During the series, Ponting said the current crop of bowlers were not "of the same high class" that opposition teams had come to expect from the West Indies.

Ponting was selected for the third ODI on 12 March 1995 at Queen's Park Oval, when Mark Waugh missed out through injury. Ponting—batting at three—was involved in a 59-run partnership with Steve Waugh; however, he was dismissed for 43 when he lifted an attempted pull shot. Mark Waugh returned for the next match and Ponting was subsequently dropped until he replaced an out-of-form David Boon in the fifth and final match, where Ponting got a second-ball duck. In a three-day warm-up match ahead of the Tests, Ponting scored 19, with Greg Blewett scoring a century and Langer compiling a half-century. The performance was not enough for Ponting to force his way into the Test side; though, Australia did regain the Frank Worrell Trophy for the first time in 20 years, winning the series 2–1. When Ponting returned to Launceston in June 1995, Tasmania's TAB announced him as their part-time ambassador. He then undertook a tour to England with the Young Australians; a team that included fellow Tasmanian Shaun Young. It also included five future Test batsmen: Matthew Hayden, Matthew Elliott, Martin Love, Justin Langer and Stuart Law. Despite not batting as well as he "would have liked", Ponting returned to Australia with the fourth highest batting average—48.73.

Tasmania toured Zimbabwe for five games ahead of the 1995–96 Sheffield Shield. Ponting struggled, aggregating 99 runs at a modest 24.75. By the end of October, he had signed a contract with the Australian Cricket Board, along with 22 other Australian cricketers.[59] He opened the batting with Boon in Tasmania's first match of the Sheffield Shield season, scoring 20 and 43. Ahead of the following match against Queensland in Hobart, Ponting set himself a goal of scoring a century in each innings; a feat he achieved in a high-scoring draw. His form continued against the touring Sri Lankans in a one-day game in Devonport, scoring 99. He scored another century against the same opposition in Launceston. During the match, the public address system at the NTCA Ground announced that Ponting was making his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Perth on 8 December. The following morning saw local newspaper The Examiner headline: "He's Ricky Ponting, he's ours ... and he's made it! Tassie's batting star will play in his first Test." Marsh continued his praise of Ponting, who replaced a dropped Blewett. “I have no doubt Ricky will be trying to get 100 in his first Test game. And I hope he does. You'd back him to. If Ricky carries with him the same attitude that he has seen him succeed at First-class cricket to the next level there is no reason why he will not continue to score.”

Sri Lanka batted first and scored 251, before Ponting—batting at number five due to Steve Waugh's absence through injury—arrived at the crease with Australia at a comfortable 3/422. He started nervously, edging his first ball past first slip for a boundary from off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. When Ponting reached 96, Chaminda Vaas hit Ponting high on his thigh and was given out leg before wicket. Many members of the crowd and media argued it was an incorrect decision due to excessive height. He combined with Stuart Law, also playing on debut, for a partnership of 121. This was only the ninth ever century partnership by debutants in Test cricket. "I've got mixed emotions about my knock at the moment. 96 is a good score but it would have been nice to get a 100", Ponting said after the innings. "Once I struck a few in the middle of the bat, and I spent some time in the middle I tried to relax and enjoy it, just savour the moment." Australia won the match by an innings. In the second Test in Melbourne on Boxing Day, he scored a "compact" 71 in his only innings, combining for a century stand with Steve Waugh. He also took the wicket of Asanka Gurusinha in Sri Lanka's first innings amidst four economical overs.

However, Ponting's performance was overshadowed by Australian umpire Darrell Hair no-balling Muralitharan for throwing on seven occasions, increasing tensions between the two teams. Ponting's fellow Tasmanian Boon retired after the Third Test, and Ponting's performances were not as strong at number six in the batting order, managing six and 20. Australia won yet again, sweeping the series 3–0, and Ponting was in full praise of Boon. "I would have hated to be the first person to come through from Launceston and make it but he has proved it can be done", Ponting said a year before his Test debut. Ponting ended his debut Test series with 193 runs at 48.25.

Though Ponting's appearances for Tasmania continued to be limited, he was still able to top the 1995–96 season averages with 59.50. He played in all ten games of the World Series ODI Cup played between Australia, Sri Lanka and the West Indies after the Test series. Ponting started the series at number four but moved up a position midway through the season, after opener Michael Slater was dropped. He broke through for his maiden ODI century in his 12th match, scoring 123 from 138 balls against Sri Lanka at the MCG. However, the effort was not enough to prevent Sri Lanka from victory. Ponting ended his first home ODI tournament with 341 runs at 34.10, including one century and three fifties, as Australia ended as series champions.

Coaching Role

2014-2017 Various Coaching Roles

Ponting also coached the Mumbai Indians of the Indian Premier League from 2014 to 2016, helping them win a championship in the 2015 edition of the IPL. On 1 January 2017, Ponting was named an interim coach for Australia's T20I series against Sri Lanka. Ponting joined the Australian cricket coaching team as an assistant for the 2017–18 Trans-Tasman Tri-Series.

2018- present Delhi Daredevils/Capitals Head Coach

Ponting was appointed as the new coach of Delhi Daredevils of the Indian Premier League on 3 January 2018. In the 2018 edition of the IPL, Delhi Daredevils finished last place. Ponting helped foster a new team environment, helping young talents such as Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant grow. In 2019, Delhi (now Delhi Capitals), finished in 3rd place, a large improvement from their previous season. In 2020, Delhi would finish second, and in 2021 Delhi would finish in third place being the only team to qualify for the playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021, subsequently. In 2022, Ponting is still head coach of the Delhi Capitals, with the goal of winning their first tournament.

Records and achievements

Ponting was the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 2003 and one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2006. He has been the Allan Border Medalist a record four times in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009 (with Michael Clarke). Ponting has won the award of Australia's best Test player in 2003, 2004 and 2007 and Australia's best One Day International player in 2002 and 2007.

1: First batsman to score centuries in ODI cricket against all Test playing nations (Afghanistan and Ireland were not awarded Test status in Ponting's playing period).
2: Ponting, along with Shane Watson, holds the record for the highest partnership for any wicket in the ICC Champions Trophy (252 not out for the second wicket).
3: Ponting's score of 242 against India is the highest individual Test innings in a losing cause.
4: He was awarded the Allan Border Medal by the CA in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

He was named an Australia Post Legend of Cricket in 2021.