Read to find out what's been happening with the former captain of the Australian cricket team.
Ricky Ponting, a cricketer who is often referred to as one of the greatest captains of his time has made himself busy in the commentator's booth after his retirement in 2013. Given the track record he's established over the years, his punditry is valued amongst his peers and fans alike.
What else has the legendary cricketer been doing lately and what is the emergency that he had to attend to recently?
Setting the bar high
Ponting is a former Australian cricketer and captain of the Australian national team. He is considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, with a record of over 27,000 runs in international cricket. Ponting made his international debut for Australia in 1995, and soon established himself as one of the top batsmen in the world. In 2002, he was named captain of the Australian team, and under his leadership, the team won two consecutive World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007.
In addition to his success as a captain, Ponting is also known for his exceptional batting skills, particularly his ability to score runs under pressure. He was the leading run-scorer in the 2003 World Cup, and is one of only four players to score over 13,000 runs in Test cricket. Ponting retired from international cricket in 2012, but following that he has coached the Australian and Indian national teams in addition to Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.
Off the field, Ponting is known for his strong work ethic and commitment to the sport. He has also been involved in numerous charitable initiatives, including the Ponting Foundation, which aims to improve the lives of sick and disadvantaged children.
In recognition of his contributions to cricket, Ponting was inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame in 2018, and was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2006. He remains a beloved figure in the cricket world, and continues to inspire young players and fans alike with his exceptional skills and dedication to the sport.
Busy schedule
In 2021, ESPN published a report noting that Ponting was unable to attend to his coaching responsibilities for the Australian and Indian national teams as it was taking up a considerable amount of his time, which essentially kept him away from his family.
Speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, Ponting said:
Time is the only thing that's stopping me [from taking the job], to be honest. I'd love to coach the Australian team, but what I have done with my playing career was being away from family as much. I have a young family now, a seven-year-old boy, and to give up 300 days a year is not what I would do. That's where the IPL works so well for me.
The IPL is much more fast-paced in nature and allows Ponting more breathing room to divide his professional responsibilities. Additionally, he asserted that he prefers to work with young and upcoming players in order to help them develop their skills further through the Indian Premier League, reports ESPN.
Health issues
In December last year, Ponting gave everyone a scare while he was covering Australia's match against the West Indies. He reportedly suffered a heart scare and had to be rushed to the hospital during lunchtime, and he wasn't seen for the rest of the session, reports Mirror.
The next day, he recounted the situation:
I was sitting in the comms box halfway through the stint and got a couple of really short and sharp pains to my chest. I tried to stretch it out and get rid of it, and probably didn't want to give too much away when I was on air.
He added:
I had a couple of those incidents, got through the stint and went to walk to the back of the commentary box and got lighthearted and dizzy and grabbed the bench. 'I mentioned to JL (Justin Langer) on the way out, who was commentating with me, that I had had these pains in my chest. [Our executive producer] Chris Jones heard me and just reacted straight away and got me out of there 10 or 15 minutes later.
As he was recalling the distressing moment, he noted that he felt 'all shiny and new' after having a 'relaxing' day at the hospital, in addition to getting some restful sleep. He also added that he was on high alert when it comes to health concerns such as this as he lost his close friend and colleague, Shane Warne just a year before.
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