Ponting tipped to hit 16,000 runs

aussie1st

Retired Administrator
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Location
Auckland
TEST great Neil Harvey has tipped Ricky Ponting to play 200 Tests - a feat that could see him smash the 16,000-run barrier.

And former Test opener Geoff Marsh claimed Ponting, 31, is in such devastating touch he could still be a force beyond his 40th birthday.

The No1-ranked batsman in the world, Ponting is on target to set a benchmark that would see him exceed Brian Lara's record of 11,294 runs by more than 5000.

Harvey has no doubt that Ponting - a veteran of 104 Tests - will become the first batsman to hit 40 Test tons before sailing past the run-scoring mark of Lara.

"I saw Don Bradman play into his 40s and I think Ricky can certainly do it if he has the mental toughness," Harvey said.

"They play so much cricket nowadays that it's possible Ponting could play more than 200 Tests. I also wouldn't be surprised to see him hit 40-plus tons (Ponting has 31). He's a great player. I don't know about these comparisons with (Don) Bradman, no-one comes close to him, but he's beautiful to watch."

The Test skipper produced a brilliant 118 not out last week to save Australia from an embarrassing loss to whipping boys Bangladesh - reinforcing the belief Ponting is behind only Bradman as our greatest batsman.

The brilliant Ponting has 8740 runs in Test cricket.

If he plays another nine years, as predicted, he could conceivably double his run count, pushing him well past the 16,000 mark.

Marsh insists the Tasmanian has become more dominant than West Indies dasher Lara and India maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

"No doubt whatsoever, Ricky is a better batsman than those guys," said Marsh, who played 50 Tests before coaching Ponting in the national team from 1996-99.

"Ricky gets runs under all conditions and on any wicket in any country. There was once a belief that he had a problem with spin - and he probably did early on - but he is now so consistent.

"I think he's capable of playing until he's 40.

"It's a matter of keeping fit but Ricky looks after himself well and is such a dedicated cricketer.

"In my time as coach (of the national team), there was no harder worker than Ricky.

"When other blokes were in the dressing room, he'd be out batting in the practice nets or throwing the ball at the stumps."

Sixteen Australians have played Test cricket into their 40s. Bob Simpson was the last to do so, playing his final Test at the age of 42 in May 1978 after making a comeback to help the establishment team during World Series Cricket.

Statistics support Marsh's claim that Ponting has usurped Lara and Tendulkar. The Australian averages 58.27 from 104 Tests. Lara averages 53.02 from 124 Tests, while Tendulkar's mark is 55.39 from 132 Tests.

In Bangladesh, Ponting also joined Indian great Sunil Gavaskar for most fourth-innings centuries with four - prompting Marsh to laud him as our greatest Test match saviour since Allan Border.

"AB was renowned for getting us out of trouble and Ricky is heading that way," Marsh said. "He's a tremendous fighter. He really responds under pressure."

Lara, meanwhile, is on a short-list of candidates to become the next West Indies captain - a position he has held twice.

Chairman of selectors Joey Carew said yesterday Lara is one of six players under consideration to replace Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who resigned last Tuesday.

The others are wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Sylvester Joseph and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan.

The selectors expect to make a decision tomorrow (AEST) and forward their recommendation to the West Indies Cricket Board.

"We are looking for a leader on and off the field of play," Carew said. "We are looking toward the 2007 World Cup and trying to find a man who can take on the challenge of leading the West Indies to a World Cup triumph at home."

Chanderpaul resigned after a year in the job. In his 14 Tests as captain, he had just one win, 10 losses and three draws.

The Sunday Telegraph

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18822282-23212,00.html

16000 runs wow we are in the era of breaking records. Took about 10 years before Border's record was broken now we could see Lara's one broken. I can't see Ponting playing to 40 though so can't see him passing 16000 runs. He definitely should be the highest run scorer in test cricket.
 
Well Ponting is certainly on a roll. He is performing so consistently, that many great batsmen fail to do. He will definitely score many more runs but 16000 runs is very far away. Lets wait and watch..........who knows.
 
Last edited:
Look,Ponting is a very good batsman,and when someone is in devestating form the inclination is to start saying they will play until they are 50.In reality,Ponting may have a drop off,finish his test career after 140 tests and not pass Brian Lara.To much expectation being put on him.
 
Ponting is only 3000 runs away from Lara. With the way moden cricket is going he could reach that mark in 2 years. He will still be in the peak of his career and at 33 still could have a few more years left in him.
 
Good on him though if he makes it hes in excelletn form. I mean people like dizzy are older then 35. Who knows ponting might play onto 37 or 38. If Australia have a busy test scheduale thers a high chance
 
he's definitely on a roll, it'll be some competition between him and Tendulkar for the next couple of years. If Tendulkar can stay fit, he'll be playing for atleast 4-5 years, and Ponting as well, so it'll be a close call.
 
I never knew Tendulkar had a few years left in him. Only problem for him is he isn't in form or I would say he would end up with the record.

Also @ Brett_Lee Dizzy is only 31 no where near 35 or older.
 
Tendulkar is 32 (well, close to 33), and he's not in that terrible form. He was either bogged down, or got starts but failed to continue.
The problem is that, India never play test matches in a row. YOu see them playing 2 tests or 3 tests, on flat pitches but there is huge gap between tests. Therefore you don't have the rhythm going.

Incase of Aussies, they've played so many tests..right from Ashes, and quite frequently. It'll get you in a rhythm, and it has helped Ponting.

I'm taking nothing away from Ponting though, he's played wonderfully well. But sometimes these issues do matter.
 
I agree with all that stuff, Punters supremely fit and may play 200 tests seeing how much test cricket they play ever year, He is a much more consistent and better player than sachin and Lara too. He deserves all the test run scoring records, im not turning this thread into a debate over lara vs ponting vs sachin, im just agreeing with that article and for me, its ponting
 
RoboRocks said:
No way is Ponting playing 200 tests. The average age for retirement nowadays is about 35.
Is this a subtle way of saying Ponting is an average player?

cricket_lover said:
If Tendulkar can stay fit
You think he's fit?
 
angryangy said:
Is this a subtle way of saying Ponting is an average player?

You think he's fit?
you've got his quote wrong mate, Ponting is a great player but average retirement these days is 35 odd. I don't know why you took that way.

Tendulkar will be fit, WHAT do you think?
 
langerrox said:
I agree with all that stuff, Punters supremely fit and may play 200 tests seeing how much test cricket they play ever year, He is a much more consistent and better player than sachin and Lara too. He deserves all the test run scoring records, im not turning this thread into a debate over lara vs ponting vs sachin, im just agreeing with that article and for me, its ponting

Ponting is a fine player but in truth he has been extremely fortunate recently. If SA had held onto their catches like what England did to Ponting in the Ashes then his average and runs would slightly lower. You say Ponting is better then Lara or Tendulkar? Personally, I'd say No mainly because the likes of Lara and Tendulkar had to face the best of the best bowlers in the world in the 90's such as Walsh, Pollock, Warne, McGrath, Murali, Donald, Akram, Waqar and a few others, whereas Ponting really have only faced rather mediocre bowlers compared to the bowling stocks in the 90's. I expect him to break Lara's record in say 2-3 years time but don't expect him to make more than 20,000 runs.
 
200 tests?!? Talk about getting swept up in a period of form.

If he does I can only assume that is down to Australias normally endess supply of quality young players waiting in the wings waning.

As with most top test batsman their eyes and reactions begin to lose a little of their prowess after 35 so dealing with pacey attacks becomes all the harder. It is not the Aussie way to play someone out of loyalty or nostalgia. So if he goes through a run of bad from as he gets older, I do not see the Aussie selectors hanging on with him just on the off-chance he scores some more runs. Unless as I said the quality of Australia batsman in the next 5 years has dwindled and there is noone good enough to replace him.

I do however feel he is quite likely to end his career as the leading run-scorer in test cricket.
 
I don't think he will do it. He is going through a patch of very good form but if you asked me who would you prefer in your team between Lara, Tendulkar and Ponting. It would definetly not be Ponting his action isn't as solid as Sachins and Lara has the mindset to bat for a veery long time. If SA had held onto there catches, Ponting wouldn't have got the centuries.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top