Wednesday 22nd February, 2012 13 Ponting vows to bat on, despite ODI exit BY JOHN PYE but conceded chief selector John Michael Clarke as captain in the 110-run Inverarity had made it clear he was no win over World Cup champion India at BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — longer part of their plans for the ODI Brisbane. Ricky Ponting didn’t become one of the squad as they build for the 2015 World After that match, he said he wanted world’s most successful cricketers by Cup. to bat his way into form, as he had done caving into pressure — in the crease, “I don’t expect to be recalled into the in the Test arena this summer. from critics or from national team selec- one-day side,” Ponting said. Inverarity, “I got a lot of satisfaction out of this tors. “made it pretty clear to me yesterday summer because I proved to myself and So his somewhat belligerent reaction that he doesn’t expect for me to be play- I proved to my team-mates that I can to being dropped from Australia’s limit- ing one-day cricket again, so that’s (still) win games for Australia,” he said. ed-overs squad didn’t surprise anyone where it is for me. He has scored 13,200 runs, including 41 who has followed the career of the two- “It would have to take four or five centuries, in 162 Tests at 53.44 and was time World Cup-winning captain: just a guys to go down in one game in Hobart the second-highest scorer in the last day after being axed, Ponting vowed to on Friday for me to be even considered series against India behind only Clarke. bat on in the Test arena. again, but I don’t think I’ll ever be con- He’s the third most-prolific Test bats- The man who scored a double centu- sidered and that’s the way I’m approach- man of all time. ry in his last Test match six weeks ago ing it. That sits comfortably with me.” Ponting said that form didn’t transfer said retirement was out of the question, Ponting’s immediate aim is selection into the one-day arena, but he was confi- not even uttering the word in a news for the three-Test series in the West dent he could revive his batting for the conference that was televised live across Indies in April and to play domestic West Indies series. Australia on Tuesday. cricket for Tasmania, starting with “From my point of view, of course I He conceded that he was unlikely to Saturday’s interstate limited-overs final. still felt there was still room in the team play limited-overs cricket for Australia “Now that international one-day for me, but at the end of the day if I’d again. But the 37-year-old Ponting cricket’s not there, what I have left is made runs, I’d have stayed in the team,” insisted the 2013 Ashes series was on Test match cricket and I’ll make sure he said. “When you don’t make runs in his radar, warning that he wouldn’t go that I’m as well-prepared as possible to five consecutive games, you understand quietly into retirement. He seemed to be play every game and make the most of that there’s an opportunity there for suggesting he’d have to be dropped by every opportunity that I get,” he said. selectors to leave you out.” selectors in order to miss next year’s “The passion for international cricket Cricket Australia chief executive tour to England, where he has lost the for me has not died or changed one little James Sutherland said the selectors had last two Ashes series and is desperate to bit.” to make decisions “without fear or seek some redemption. Ponting quit as Australia captain favour that is in the best interest of “I’m backing myself to finish the game and finish my career on a high,” Ponting said. “I don’t want to finish on a low. I’ll make the right decision at the right time, there’s no doubt about that.” Throughout his career, Ponting has Full name: Ricky Thomas Ponting made an art form of being obstinate and belligerent, usually to the detriment of Birth day: December 19, 1974, Launceston, Tasmania bowlers. He applies similar characteris- Age: 37 years tics off the field, defying plenty of Major teams: Australia, ICC World XI, Kolkata Knight Riders, Somerset, Tasmania doubters who’ve called for him to retire Nickname: Punter or be dropped since Australia lost the Former Australian cricket Ashes on home soil last year. Playing role: Top-order batsman captain Ricky Ponting He silenced his critics in the Test Batting style: Right-hand bat speaks to media, Tuesday, arena by hitting a double century, a cen- Bowling style: Right-arm medium tury and three half century in six Feb. 21, 2012, in Sydney, Height: 1.78 m innings in the 4-0 series sweep of No. 2- the morning after he was ranked India last month, averaging 108 Education: Mowbray Primary, Brooks Senior High School, Launceston for the series. Relation Uncle : GD Campbell dropped from Australia’s “It’s not about defying anybody,” limited-overs squad for the Ponting said of his refusal to retire. “It’s about being the best that I can be ongoing Tri-Series against and winning games of cricket for Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 India and Sri Lanka. Australia.” Tests 162 276 29 13200 257 53.44 41 61 (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Former team-mates Matt Hayden and ODIs 375 365 39 13704 164 42.03 30 82 Darren Lehmann both posted tweets T20Is 17 16 2 401 98* 28.64 0 2 expressing surprise and outrage at the timing of Ponting’s ODI ousting. But most critics thought it was time. Ponting admitted he didn’t see it one-day cricket: five World Cups, four World Cups, leading Australia to the coming in the last week, but said the after the World Cup quarter-final loss to Australian cricket.” finals, three championships and two as titles in 2003 and 2007. He scored 13,704 selectors took the courageous call to India last March but has remained in “They’ve made that decision. Not captain, plus all the runs and special runs at 42.03 in ODIs. He still considers drop him because his form wasn’t good the ODI and Test squads as a specialist everyone will agree with that but feats in the field,” Sutherland said. “I his imperious 140 in the 2003 final enough in his last five innings. batsman and still is one of the leading they’ve made that decision and that’s just can’t think of a player that has against India at Johannesburg as one of He scored five consecutive single- fielders in the country. He stopped play- their job to do that,” Sutherland said made a greater contribution and been a the highlights of his cricket career. digit scores — the worst sequence in a ing Twenty20 cricket in 2009. before paying tribute to Ponting’s stand- better one-day cricketer, particularly in Ponting’s run tally, which includes 82 375-game ODI career that stretches back Ponting played his last ODI on ing in the 50-over format. As captain, the big moments.” ODI 50s and 30 centuries, is second only to 1995 and includes five World Cup Sunday, needing 13 balls to get off the Ponting had more ODI victories than He had a 76 percent winning rate as to India’s Sachin Tendulkar at limited- campaigns. mark and scoring a scratchy 7 from 26 anyone. captain in 230 ODIs. Ponting won three overs international level. He didn’t specifically say he’d retired, balls as he deputized for injured “I think his career is incomparable in St. John’s Girls’ School, Panadura Veteran TT players Cooperative Presidents into softball cricket for first time Visakha House wins Inter-House Sports Meet to celebrate 10th anniversary The Veterans’ Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka (VTTASL) has decided to conduct an invitation league table tennis tournament to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The tournament will be held on February 25 (Saturday) at the S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia gymnasium. Matches will be played from 2.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. According to the VTTASL, the tournament will feature eight The Inter-House Sports Meet of St. John’s Girls’ School, Panadura, was held on Friday, Feb teams. The Nationalised Services 18. Visakha House emerged champs with 172 points, just two points ahead of Mahamaya Table Tennis Association, the House who came in second. Former Hon. Secretary of the former Board of Control for Cricket Government Services Table For the first time, a softball cricket tournament for the Presidents of Cooperative societies in in Sri Lanka (Now Sri Lanka Cricket), and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the school, Tennis Association and the the Western Province was held at the Buddhadasa grounds, Battaramulla, recently. The Neil Perera, who was also the chief guest at the event, hands over the Champion’s Trophy to Mercantile Table Tennis President of the Dehiwala/Mount Lavinia Cooperative Society, Sudath Kodithuwakku, Association will field two teams the captain of Visakha House, Dhanusha Shenuri Rodrigo. Principal Damayanthi each. (RN) receives the runners-up award from Western Provincial Council, Cooperatives Minister, Upali Wickramasinghe (L) is also in the picture. (Pic by Saman Kariyawasam – Panadura Corr) Kodikara.