Ricky Ponting Reveals How His Incredible Batting As A 9-Year Old Forced Tasmania To Change Rules
Published - 09 Aug 2020, 12:32 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:32 AM
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Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is one of the greatest batsmen to have graced the game. He was one of the best batsmen in the world for the most part of 2000s. He retired from the game as one of the few batsmen to have scored more than 10,000 runs in both Tests as well as ODIs.
He represented Australia in a record 168 Tests and scored 13, 378 runs, second only to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. His captaincy record further enhanced his reputation. After replacing the legendary Steve Waugh as Australia’s Test captain, Ricky Ponting went on to become Australia’s most successful skipper with 48 Test wins. In the 50-over format, he scored 13,704 runs and won three World Cups, two as captain.
When Ricky Ponting forced Tasmania to change its rules:
In a recent interview, the Australia legend has revealed how as a nine-year old, he forced Tasmania to change their rules for school cricket. Ricky Ponting revealed that he remained unbeaten throughout his first season of school cricket before Tasmania made it mandatory for the players to retire after scoring 30.
“As a nine-year old, I played the whole first season of school cricket without getting out and then at the start of the next year, they changed the rules so that you had to retire at 30,” he told Herald Sun.
“So from there on, I’d open the batting, try and face as many balls as I could, and not score many runs. I’d get a single on the last ball of every over, so I retained the strike. I’d get to the other end and ask the umpire what I was on.
“I’d try to get to 29 and hit a four or six off the last ball so I could make as many runs as I possibly could,” he added.
