Don't write-off Ricky Ponting

Nirmal Shekhar once wrote, “Sport is a strange business. For all that it matters, yesterday, in reality, may be million years in the past. In that sense, it is a bit like journalism, as a profession. Yesterday’s report is already in the dustbin of history. You are as good as your tomorrow morning’s story.

So indeed it is the same for an athlete. The glorious rich vein of the last series is hardly of any value. The question always is: What the hell did you do today?

In the world of sport, every season dozens of once-mighty champion athlete are run out of what they might have believed was their home. The older the neck, the more swiftly does sport’s guillotine comes down.”

Ricky Ponting, one of the most successful batsmen and captain in the history of Test and limited –overs cricket, is experiencing himself is such a situation. At present he’s  regarded as the man of yesterday by the critics and his performance is under the scrutiny each time he goes out to bat. Ponting’s bat, for the last two-year or so haven’t scripted a hundred and his way of dismissals are such that it’s hard to believe that we are watching the actions of a champion customer. As they say, Ponting is in the twilight zone.

 But still Ricky Ponting wants to move on despite all this as he believes that he has still cricket left in him.

But why does he believe that he can still carry on?  

Nirmal Shekhar gave a great explanation to this by saying that the kind of pressure that a professional athlete faces today is extraordinary. And to become a successful sportsman for such a long duration is quite remarkable. They are not only extraordinary sportsman, but also an extraordinary human-being who have adjusted to varying demands and have made great sacrifices to achieve what they have accomplished.

I think, during such a long, successful period a champion sportsman gains an extraordinary will power, astonishing self-belief and mental strength to keep himself going further and for which players like Ponting are capable of carrying on.

 The world of sports is seldom kind towards a sportsman who is over 35 years, but history suggests that there had been and has been champions who defied the odds and came out shinning for their country.

Imran Khan led Pakistan to a World Cup win at the age of 39. Sachin Tendulkar seem to be going stronger and stronger even at 38, while Dravid and Laxman are sharper even at 35-plus. Strong will power, self-belief and the never-ending interest to play the game have led them to defeat their age.

And for this reason, in my opinion, Ricky Ponting will move on and in a matter of time his bat will shine for Australia as because, form is temporary but class is permanent and Ponting has still that hunger to score runs.

For a sports fan, there is nothing more pleasing and satisfying in sport than watching an aging champion continue to script astonishing epics: “the victory over encroaching age, victory over Time itself,” as Nirmal Shekhar stated in his article.

Don’t write off Ricky Ponting. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar