Ricky Ponting

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ricky Ponting

• Does  Ricky Ponting smoke?: Not Known

• Does Ricky Ponting drink alcohol?: Yes

• His uncle Greg Campbell was an Australian test cricket player during 1989 – 1990, who played 4 tests, and 12 ODIs for Australia.

• During his childhood, he used to play cricket with his brother Drew Ponting in his house’s backyard.

• After leaving school, he worked as a member of the ground staff Scotch Oakburn College.

• At the age of 14, he acquired bat sponsorship through Kookaburra Sports.

• Initially, he used to play cricket for the Mowbray Cricket Club in Launceston.

• At the age of 11, in 1985–86, he played for under 13s cricket team.

• When he was 15 years old, he had a keen interest in football, but later left this game due to an injury to his elbow.

• In 1999, he was knocked out of a Sydney bar and was found unconscious outside the building.

• During his international matches, he had some difference of opinions and argumentations with Indian bowler Harbhajan Singh, but later they both came close to each other while playing for Mumbai Indians in the 2013 IPL. 

• In 2003, he scored 242 against India at Adelaide Test but lost the match.

• He is also a medium pacer who had 8 international wickets.

• He is the only player in cricket history, who made twin centuries during his 100^th test series in Sydney Cricket Ground on January 6, 2006. 

• He also joined a scoreboard crew in Sheffield Shield games.

• He also played with his father and later with his mentor’s son Shaun at the Ashes tour against England in 1997.

• From 2004 to 2011, he took the responsibility of the captaincy of Australian cricket team.

• In 2006, he gained the honour of International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Player of the Year. He was also selected as the ICC Captain of the Year in 2007. 

• He received the awards of ‘Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World’ (2003/06), ‘Compton–Miller Medal’ (2006), ‘Captain of the Year’ (2007), ‘Allan Border Medal’ (2009), and ‘Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy’ in 2007/2006. He is also a Pura Cup winner 2006-07 and Ford Ranger Cup winner 2007-08. 

• In 2010-11, he was chosen the player of the Decade by a panel of cricket players.

• He scored 13,378 (average- 51.85 ) in 168 tests and 13,704 runs (average- 42.03) in 375 ODI matches. 

• He got 16 “Man of the Match” awards in 168 tests and 32 such awards in 375 ODI.

• The elite selection panel selected him as the “Player of the decade” in both ODIs and Tests.

• He resigned from the Australian team captaincy in March 2011, took retirement from the test cricket in November 2012 and withdrew all types of sports in 2013.

• In 2013, his autobiography, ‘Ponting: At the Close of Play,’ was published. He also authored the books like ‘Brian Murgatroyd’ and  ‘Geoff Armstrong.’

• He supports an Australian football club in the Australian Football League the ”North Melbourne Kangaroos.”

• He unveiled his statue resides at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena in Tasmania (Australia).  

• In September 2024, he was appointed as the head coach of the IPL team Punjab Kings.