Ponting Honoured

Ricky Ponting OAM

thecricketragics has been a strident critic in past times of the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting on the basis of the attitudes he bought to the Australian team as Captain and his lack of insight into bowling tactics and game situations. As a captain, he was a puppet to off field management and on field personalities. His behaviour on and off the field at times, too often fell well short of expectations but he had the misfortune to play in the modern age of closer media scrutiny - which doesn't make any difference to the original concern but merely points out others have escaped in the past. When his form warranted it, thecricketragics made further calls on him to resign as a player rather than risk a further degradation of his playing record. In fact, given the inconsistency in removing the talented pair of Brad Hodge and Simon Katich from Australian teams in various forms of the game at 35, when still in peak form, thecricketragics would still claim that Ponting should have been removed by the selectors.

That said, there has never been any question mark about what he has contributed as a player to Australian cricket. He would bat at number six in thecricketragics best Australian XI of all time and has been in the top three or four fielders the game has produced in this country. His aggressive approach at the crease, his driving and pulling and running between wickets are all quintessentially Australian. He is the stereotype of an Australian cricketer. His resurgence, against probability and greatly assisted by an astute captain, is one of the miracles of modern Australian sport: the noble figure of the aging warrior, fighting on like the Python's Black Knight with all his metaphoric limbs removed but steadfast in his refusal to submit.

He is again our most consistent batsman, allowing his youthful captain to bat with vigour and enterprise and again, by his own blade destroying oppositions.

The news today, that Ricky Ponting has been made a member of the Order of Australia, not just for his services to cricket but also for the work of the Ponting Foundation in assisting families in dealing with childhood cancer, is fitting and deserved. Much is often said about sportsman receiving such honours but the weaknesses in his character aside, why shouldn't we recognise such men and women for what they contribute to Australian life and community. After all, Fred Hollows was no saint. A great cricketer is no less important to the expression of the Australian personality than a great artist or composer and many of them don't make the step to direct and lend their fame toward good causes.

thecricketragics acknowledges and applauds Ricky Ponting for this recognition of his contribution towards the Australian way of life.