For a man who has won more test matches than any one; Ponting is quite grumpy. Imagine if he were Indian.
Sometimes I think Ponting was engineered in some Australian lab in response to such talents like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam-Ul-Haq. However Wikipedia says he was conceived by regular human beings. So it must be true.
That however, fails to entirely convince me.
He is not so much programmed to win as he wants to win. Each win seems to make him thirsty for the next one. Its funny how I make it sound like a negative. But he is the kind of guy that makes me like him less for wanting to win.
Its not like I will like him more if he begins to lose.
I don't seem to mind Sachin Tendulkar wanting to score more centuries. Or Roger Federrer wanting to win more Grand Slams. But I count the same desire in Ponting as a negative.
Perhaps I believe that Australia have used up their quota of wins and now they should stop wanting to win. Actually stop winning all together.
I am actually not sure what Ponting needs to do to be liked by me. By anyone I think.
There is however one thing he likes more than winning. That is playing. Being in the XI. For that, he will willingly not want to win a game.
Today I learnt that Douglas Jardine and Ricky Ponting are the 2 captains with the best win-loss ratio of all time. That explains to some extent why I feel what I feel about Ponting.
11 comments:
sometime back i (successfully) decoded ponting's brain... and since then i never felt the urge to do it again... here you are...
http://www.straightpoints.com/2008/11/decoding-pontings-brain.html
Had a good laugh! thanks!
He has been fortunate for his whole cricket career not only as a captain but as a batsman as well. I can't think of any Australian XI side, where side wasn't strong to win. If you look at any side 1 or 2 not-matching players can be affordable, if other performs. But, if you look at his teammates ability especially bowlers he played with, they were really sharp and big time consistent match winners.
So, I can compare like this. He is like brash-brat-rich-tiny-too-much-talking college kid who was always surrounded by his other rich brats college kid. So, he knows that he can do whatever he wants, he can tease any girl he wants, he can make a fun of any nerds or geeks he wants. And you know what! he can get away with it. Because he knows he has back of other 9 bullies in his team. It's like you know he has been part of gang who just wait for something to happen in college and then they have fight against them.
So, that's why his brain is like that, that was nice SP :D
I was actually going to compare him to little prince abdullah from tintin comics but ran out of creative analogies.
Remember Abdullah son of Mohammed Ben Kalish Ezab the Arab leader from the land of black gold
I actually like him. He is a terrific batsman and an equally terrific fielder. He didn't become these two because he had 9 other "bullies" in his team. Ponting plays the way all Australians do. He behaves like he actually is. Unlike others who put on sugary platitudes to ensure no controversy and the stupid reporters lap it up. We grudge him his success because he isn't a Tendulkar, who plays in a weak team and shades his real feelings in interviews and press conferences. But I doubt if he cares if anyone likes him. He doesn't come across as an adulation seeking type. But people sure respect him and his batting. I know several people who didn't like Sampras or McEnroe (until he retired and now they love him). Remember that if Tendulkar didn't have his record of runs and centuries it would have been Ponting, plus helping his team to several wins in the process, instead of celebrating "tough fights".
I am not saying Ponting became terrific batsman and fielders because of 9 bullies around him. I am just saying he can easily get away with it and he has fully freedom to it.
Imagine people make a silly statements when Team is loosing one side + but you are scoring runs + but your team is failing and you make a controversial comments!!
Imagine that kind of comment coming from an Indian batsman among our "Great" "Regionalist" media. People would have torpedo-ed that player. And they have. The problem I have with Ponting is, he doesn't need to, but he will because he knows that his team have enough ability to win. And Australian media will back them up as long as they give them win, which they have been exceptionally for at least last 15 years.
Have you recently read headlines of Aus. news sites when they start to loose! As an Indian player it's not easy to let out real feelings in front of world or media, because even our few fan base are super idiot who can boo player right in front of thousands of viewers around the globe no matter how much glory that player possessed. We very well know the history of it.
Player shouldn't say much when they loose and player should keep it as subtle as possible when they win, when making statements to media. That is called graceful sportsmen, and everyone like those players more. And our culture is somewhat hindering our aggression in talking as well. So, its not going to change.
@Gol no idea mate, I have always been fan Spoongebob, didn't read titin or watch tintin.
I can forgive Punter for everything, I don't care what he says. I just have grudge against him for his 140* in 2003 world cup final (I can't hate enough our own bowlers Zak and Srinath for that, so I have to hate Punter :D). I hate him more for cricket reason.
Because I personally think all team must have at least 2-3 players who spit on other teams. And India always had them. :P
I agree again with Vidooshak.
I largely agree with Vidooshak. He is a champion batsmen and there is no doubting that. If someone says he played well coz of being in a great team, then that is utter roobish( Geoffrey Boycott style, ;)).
Apart from of late, he is almost always been a performer on big occasions. I also remember reading Nasser Hussain's article on him. He said, most Aussies are irritating and brag about Australia, even off the field. But, Ponting wasn't like that. In fact, he was a good guy to drink with. When an English skipper says that, I would rather trust him.
Also, he gets away after doing stupid things, agreed. But is it his fault that referees are lenient on him ?? If yes, then its Sachin's fault for taking away all attention from two glorious careers of Dravid and Laxman. But no, that isn't the case.
My thoughts on Ricky Ponting? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy8nTNGaZIA
There is such a thing as a sore winner.
Nice work :-)
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