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
