In a recent development, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has shed light upon the time he gave up captaincy after leading his national team to all kinds of glory. It is not without a reason that Ponting is often regarded as one of the best captains in the history of cricket.
The right-handed batsman and one of the finest slip fielders in world cricket, Ponting led Australia in 77 Tests, winning 48 of them and 228 ODIs, winning 162 of them. He also led the Australian team to successive World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007.
However, Ponting decided to step down as the skipper of the team after his team was knocked out of the ICC World Cup 2011, losing to India in the quarter-finals. Back then, he had gone on record suggesting that no one had forced him to step down and in a recent media interaction he has reaffirmed the same.
“Did it hurt? Yes. Giving it up hurt. I think I realised it was the right time for Australian cricket,” Ponting told Sky Sports.
“I want to give the next captain appropriate time to go into next couple of big tournaments. I wanted to ensure Michael (Clarke) had enough time to be the best captain he can be in the next big event,” he added.
“It was really touch and go that would make it to the next Ashes. I thought it was right time to give it up and give Michael every opportunity,” he carried on.
“I made a hundred in the World Cup quarter-final and I was still playing well. There were a few eyebrows raised when I said I would like to play on,” he added.
“The major reason I played on is because there were a lot of young guys coming in at the time and I wanted to make sure I was around to help them. Believe me, there was nothing left for me to achieve in the game and I was only around for what I thought was best for Australian cricket,” he concluded.