Ricky Ponting ignores Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar as he names most naturally talented player

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has named the legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis as the most naturally talented cricketer he has ever seen.

The Australian legend overlooked legendary figures like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and AB De Villiers, who are often regarded as the all-time greatest players, and picked Jacques Kallis as the most naturally talented cricketer.

Ricky Ponting names Jacques Kallis the most naturally talented cricketer of all time

Ricky Ponting praised Kallis not only for his exceptional batting skills but also for his outstanding contributions as an all-rounder to South African cricket while highlighting the Proteas great’s remarkable achievements with both bat and ball.

The former Australian captain has emphasized Kallis's impact on the game, as he mentioned that the South African has an impressive tally of 45 Test centuries and over 300 wickets to his name, along with some catching records.

However, Ponting expressed disappointment that Jacques Kallis remains one of the most underrated players in the history of the gentleman’s game. He reiterated that Kallis is one of the all-time greats.

Jacques Kallis is the most talented player: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting was quoted as saying by Sky Sports: “I’ll say Jacques Kallis is the most talented player that I’ve ever seen because of his all-round game. I’m not just talking about a talented batsman; I’m talking about a talented cricketer. Jacques Kallis made 44, 45 Test hundreds, probably 300 wickets, maybe more than that, and he’d have an unbelievable catching record as well in Test cricket.

So I think he’s one of the most underrated players ever that’s played the game. I mean, I know he’s rated; obviously, he should be, but not many people talk about him as being one of the all-time greats, and in my eyes, he certainly is.”

Notably, Kallis is widely regarded as one of the finest all-rounders in the history of the game. Over his remarkable 19-year international career, the former South African all-rounder played 166 Test matches, 328 ODIs, and 25 T20Is for South Africa.

He has 13,289 runs in Tests, 11,579 runs in ODIs, and 666 runs in T20Is to name while representing the rainbow nation at the highest level. Kallis was also a formidable bowler, claiming 292 wickets in Tests, 273 in ODIs, and 12 in T20Is.

He was also an exceptional fielder, taking 200 catches in Test matches and 131 in ODIs, further cementing his reputation as one of the outstanding all-rounders the game has ever seen.

Brian Lara is the most naturally talented batsman: Ricky Ponting

Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting, Australia's top run scorer in both Test and ODI cricket, has picked the former West Indies captain Brian Lara as the most naturally gifted batter he has ever seen.

The legendary batter believes Lara's talent sets him apart from others in the world. Ponting added, “The most naturally talented batsman, I’d say, would be Brian Lara.”

Notably, Lara finished his international career with a remarkable total of 11,953 runs in Test cricket, making him the highest run scorer in the format at that time. He also has the record for the highest individual score in Test history, having blasted 400 runs in a single innings against England in 2004.