Seems like the pitch of health isn't very smooth for this Australian cricketer. Ricky Ponting was suffering from chest pains on Friday, December 2, in the commentary box in Perth during Day 3 of Australia vs West Indies test match. On Saturday, December 3, the former Australian batting legend, who was also the captain, was back on the ground for commentary. During this time he said, "I am all shiny and new this morning."
What actually happened to the Aussie GOAT? How is he feeling now? Why is India so concerned for an Australian cricketer that his name has been trending since today morning? All these and a lot more will be disclosed with today's edition of #WhatTheFAQ.
What actually happened to Ponting?
Explaining what actually happened and how he is feeling, Ponting briefed in a video posted by Australia's Television network Channel Seven's Twitter handle (@7Cricket). Here's what he said:
"I probably scared a lot of people yesterday and had a scary moment for myself. 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. I had a couple of those incidents, got through the stint and went to walk to the back of the commentary box and got lightheaded and dizzy and grabbed the bench. I mentioned to JL on the way out, who was commentating with me, that I had had these pains in my chest and Chris Jones heard me and just reacted straight away and got me out of there. Ten or 15 minutes later, I was in the hospital getting the best treatment that I possibly could. I feel great this morning, I am all shiny and new this morning."
How has Ricky Pointing contributed to Australian cricket?
Born in 1974 in Australia, Ricky Ponting debuted in Test cricket on December 8, 1995, against Sri Lanka. He has represented Australia in 168 tests with a score of 13.378 runs at an average of 51.85, with 41 tons and 62 fifties, as stated in a report by NDTV Sports.
With Pointing's One Day International series debut on February 15, 1995, he played 375 ODIs and scored 13,704 runs at an average of 42.03, with 30 centuries and 82 fifties. In 17 T20Is, he made 401 runs at an average of 28.64 and scored two fifties, as reported by NDTV Sports.
Talking about World Cups, he was a part of the Aussie team which won three straight 50 over World Cups in 1999, 2003 and 2007, leading the side to victory in the other two tournaments as skipper.
What is Ricky Ponting's importance in IPL?
It was in 2008 that the Aussie cricketer debuted as a team player for the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Moreover, in 2014, he was appointed as the head coach for the Mumbai Indians franchise.
Now, the former cricketer has associated himself with the franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League. It was in 2018 that he was appointed as DC's head coach after Rahul Dravid quit. Under his coaching, DC reached playoffs after seven years. They ended up as the second runners-up in the playoffs after losing against Chennai Super Kings. This has been considered their best-ever finish, as stated in online reports.
Following the same upward trend, the Delhi team reached the finals in 2020 but they lost against Mumbai Indians. However, this season was the most successful season for Delhi Capitals in IPL history as they reached the finals for the first time. Having said that, even though Delhi Capitals had won six games out of eight matches and were placed at the top of the points table for 2021, the season was indefinitely suspended following a breach of the COVID-19 bio-secure bubble.
What are the achievements of this great captain from Australia?
Some of the accolades to his name are:
- Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 2003
- One of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2006
- Allan Border Medalist a record four times in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009. This award is the most prestigious award for the most outstanding male Australian cricketer during the Australian Cricket Awards
- Australia's Best Test Player Award in 2003, 2004 and 2007
- Australia's Best One Day International Player Award in 2002 and 2007
- Australia Post Australian Legends Award in 2021
Other records:
- Along with Shane Watson, Ponting holds the record for the highest partnership in the ICC Champions Trophy
- First batsman to score centuries in ODI cricket against all test-playing nations
Is all well with cricket legends from Australia?
This year, the country lost two of its biggest legends, Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, in March. Additionally, Dean Jones, another cricketer, passed away due to a heart attack in September 2020. Also, former Western Australia wicketkeeper, and more recently, Netherlands coach, Ryan Campbell also experienced a cardiac episode in April this year, due to which he almost died, as stated in a report by ESPN Cricket.
