Ponting's uninhibited style of captaincy made Australia monopolize the game.

"The strength of the group is the strength of the leaders."

The powerful dominance of Australia in cricket for the last 2 decades can be mainly contributed to their captains. Various players, various situations, various combinations, various conflicts, but the results have always pointed towards victory. The consistency at which, Team Australia kept winning games, made them the invincible for the last 20 years. Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh & Ricky Ponting have been the pillars of Australian cricket, in the way they have led their teams. Their approach towards the game & captaincy have been distinctly different, but the focus on results have been brutally cultivated on the players, which is to win. A team having a motto "Perform to play", has never derailed from its strict axing policy, irrespective of the past glories & the players greatness. Cricket Australia has been very clear that, they live in the present and play for the future. This ruthless axe hasn't seemed to have missed, one of the all time greats - Ricky Ponting, at least in the one day format.

Ricky Thomas Ponting, has been a pioneer for Australian cricket & is one of the best captains, that the world could see. The past of Ponting stands testimony for his greatness. The past also includes the recently concluded series against India, where he looked at his supreme best. He was under tremendous pressure to perform before the series began, but "Punter" answered his critics in his own inimitable style, by scoring runs. He amassed a staggering 535 runs in 4 tests, including a double century & a score of above 150. That's when he really fought for his place in the team. Even at the age of 37, he's forced to prove himself & to fight for his place in the team. Thats Australian cricket for you !

17 years of ODI cricket, 13,700 runs at an average of a whisker above 42 speaks volumes about his consistency & his thirst for scoring those runs. Every time he steps into the crease, he makes the opposition think vehemently about how to get rid of him. His famous "Crouch-Pull" shots sends an alarming message to the opposition, that he's about to make them count. In the 375 matches that he's played, every time he takes guard, you almost get the feeling that, he treats every innings of his like the first one he had faced. Coming in at No.3, is no child's play, where you're considered as good as an opener. Ponting has managed his role at No.3 with great aplomb & success. The world cup final in 2003 is just another example of his impact in that position. Though Ponting, began his career as an opener, the "1-down" role was performed to perfection & his approach to that pivotal position can be taken as a bench mark & lessons for many to follow. 

It is not only his batting that propelled him to become one of the greats of the game, but also his fielding. As far as my knowledge goes, he's the only player to have successfully evaded age catching up with his fielding. His reflexes are a gods gift & his instincts are one to die for. His ground fielding within the circle has been so intimidating that the batsmen thought twice before running, when the ball was approaching him. Ponting often stood at the cover, point regions & took to the slips as well. Though the slip-cordon was a specialist position, Ponting's agility earned him a spot among the great slip fielders for Australia like Mark Taylor, Allan Border, Mark Waugh & Matthew Hayden. He has also ventured into more specialist positions such as silly mid off, short leg & Silly point. Only a fielder who has immaculate anticipation, knowledge, agility & instinct can be placed anywhere in the field. He was an undeniable asset on the field, taking some stunning catches & also saving 10-15 runs on an average every single game for Australia.

During 2004, when Australia were searching for an able replacement to the legendary Steve Waugh as a captain, the only person at that time, who showed promise & eagerness to lead the nation was Ricky Ponting. Though a lot of people raised questions about his temperament to deal with captaincy & to lead a side filled with different characters, Ponting braved his way successfully to handle the team in a controlled fashion. Ponting was a very shrewd captain, who followed every split-second of the game without any distractions. He showed no mercy on the field, both to his players & the opposition. He was a bundle of energy, too risky to have him close to you. He incessant jabber & motivation to his team, often got onto the oppositions nerves. He often had his on-field "Chats" with the opposition (in other words sledging), that sprayed their concentration around, often playing into the hands of Ponting & his men. His uninhibited style of captaincy made Australia monopolize the game. He had a plan to execute & even if it deviates, his knowledge to assess the game & the situation instantly made him the perfect catalyst to get the best out of his players. Ponting grew with age & his captaincy was ruthless & aggressive, which was much within the frame of the sport. The world had not seen such a captain, who made his team believe that winning was just another habit, like brushing your teeth everyday. 

In the 7 years he had captained the team, Australia looked at their shining best, putting themselves way ahead of the remaining cricket playing nations. Whenever a team played Australia, the opposition was given no chance of tasting victory & even if they did, they would treat it much worthier than gold & time. Ponting headed a team which had all time greats such as, Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist & Glenn McGrath. To deal them with due respect & also to give them their space to exploit their distinct individuality, was a perfect ploy that proved successful for both him & Australia.     

Aussies have traditionally concentrated on the ashes, and Ponting's dream was to safe guard their Ashes much more than the World cup. Unfortunately it took a beating in 2005, when Australia had lost their grip on the Ashes for the first time since 1987. But in the run up to the next ashes at home, they managed to white wash, West Indies & South Africa. The term "White-wash" was becoming increasingly prominent whenever Australia took on an opposition & to its main credit was Ricky Ponting & they way he handled his troupes. He enjoyed the support of the world which saw him with much adulation & also for a change from cricket Australia as well. 

The ever gum-chewing Ponting's words were often like spit of fire, very precise, to the point & also blunt. Though he was a terrific spokesman for Australia, he often spoke his mind out which didn't go very well with the media or his cricket board. He was a bud of a lot of controversies, including his criticism of some greats like  Jacques Kallis, Sachin Tendulkar. The victories seemed like, it got onto his head. The invincibility wasn't taken with much humbleness. Though that attitude helped his team dominate the world of cricket, beyond a point, it began to lose its sheen, so did Ponting. The famous Sydeny test against India stands testimony for that fact. The torrid umpiring errors, added to his desperation to win, in what seemed like a not-so-sportsman like behavior through the series. He was never a believer of the so called spirit of the game. His agenda was simple, he wanted to win games for Australia. He wouldn't walk if the umpire had not given him out, even after knowing that he actually did. 

Though Ponting has one of the greatest distinctions after Clive Lloyd, of captaining his team to 2 successive world cup victories, the defeats that followed had an impact on his performance, both as a player & as a captain. It looked like he started to doubt his ability to play like before, mainly fueled by surrounding thoughts, including the media & the board. 

The respect from the players also looked like as if it was diminishing slowly. Ponting hit a lean patch in the last couple of years, during which his team had lost the ashes, and as a team, Australia began to lose their tag - "Invincibles". Every team believed that it could beat Australia anywhere. That was a thought that never cropped into the minds of many during the last 2 decades. He then stepped down from the captaincy, after being ousted from the world cup by India. And ever since that, Ponting has not been a shadow of his own. His performance plunged downwards & Cricket Australia's axe did not miss this great as well. His words in the latest press conference epitomizes his eagerness to still represent his country & his unquenchable thirst for cricket "I've always been a traditionalist, I've loved every opportunity I've had to play cricket for Australia, whether it be one day cricket, Twenty20 or Test cricket. All I've got left is Test cricket and I want to make every post a winner with that, and make sure that every time I have a chance to play for Australia I'm the best prepared I can be and I enjoy every moment."

Now that he has drawn curtains to the One day format, he hopefully is part of the test plans for Australia. It is always hard to see a player of such stature exiting the game in such a manor. A great player like him should decide when he wants to quit, rather then the circumstances pushing him away from the team and it leaves a bad taste in the tongue. But even under these situations, he still gives himself a chance to play for Australia and prove more to himself, as we can never deviate from the fact that he is a legend; a leader & after all he is Ricky "Punter" Ponting