PlanetCricket
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- Joined
- Jan 13, 2010
Article by baggy_blogger -
It’s been difficult to sit down and write this article.
Many may find it is the thing to do when a player retires, to write an article about that specific player and the legacy they leave behind for the game. Some may do it for formality, others do it to share their memories. Either way you look at it expression comes in many ways but it isn’t always easy.
I started this site close to five years ago as a way of expressing my pride in the Baggy Greens through writing. There were no clear aspirations behind it. I just wanted to write about my pride for the team, the individual players and this great game. It’s given me personal motivation and helps shape a positive outlook on many things in life.
Through it I have networked with many talented writers, met some awesome, crazy cricket fans over the world but also brought some good mates into my own world. One of the people I have met, who has since become a good mate, was kind enough to arrange for me to go watch Australia at a training session with him last year and chat with some of the players.
Having met one player in particular on two different occassions, somewhat briefly, this time was even more meaningful as I got?to see him working off the field which many haven’t had the opportunity to do so.
Ricky Ponting will always be my favourite cricketer and the reasons go well beyond what he did on the cricket field.
If you have followed the site for a few years you will have read many articles about him, usually in a highly supportive manner. The reasons are clear and despite the struggles I never stopped backing the maestro.
So, standing by the nets last year at the training session looking on from the side, Punter was the first to show up and was padded up in no time, working on throw downs with Justin Langer. The process was repetitve and tedious.?They went on and on, with brief pauses where Punter and JL would discuss a thing or two and carry on.
This would then expand into a more thorough net session and despite being focused on his own practice, Punter would take the time look at the batsmen in the other net with him and share a tip or two based upon what he was doing. In this case it was Phillip Hughes – now set to step in to try fulfil the possible role at number 3 in the Test side which Punter occupied for the majority of his career.
The?lengthy practice session came to an end.
Many of the players had come and gone in a relatively short time frame just to have an intense bowl or a quick batting session. However, the last man to walk away was Ricky Ponting with Usman Khawaja and Justin Langer along side him. He was the first to be there and the last to leave.
You often hear the commentators mention this commitment but to see it first hand was special and it was just one of the few reasons Ricky Ponting will forever be one of the best I’ve seen. His work ethic was solid.
Read the rest of this article here.
This piece is from The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click here.
More...
It’s been difficult to sit down and write this article.
Many may find it is the thing to do when a player retires, to write an article about that specific player and the legacy they leave behind for the game. Some may do it for formality, others do it to share their memories. Either way you look at it expression comes in many ways but it isn’t always easy.
I started this site close to five years ago as a way of expressing my pride in the Baggy Greens through writing. There were no clear aspirations behind it. I just wanted to write about my pride for the team, the individual players and this great game. It’s given me personal motivation and helps shape a positive outlook on many things in life.
Through it I have networked with many talented writers, met some awesome, crazy cricket fans over the world but also brought some good mates into my own world. One of the people I have met, who has since become a good mate, was kind enough to arrange for me to go watch Australia at a training session with him last year and chat with some of the players.
Having met one player in particular on two different occassions, somewhat briefly, this time was even more meaningful as I got?to see him working off the field which many haven’t had the opportunity to do so.
Ricky Ponting will always be my favourite cricketer and the reasons go well beyond what he did on the cricket field.
If you have followed the site for a few years you will have read many articles about him, usually in a highly supportive manner. The reasons are clear and despite the struggles I never stopped backing the maestro.
So, standing by the nets last year at the training session looking on from the side, Punter was the first to show up and was padded up in no time, working on throw downs with Justin Langer. The process was repetitve and tedious.?They went on and on, with brief pauses where Punter and JL would discuss a thing or two and carry on.
This would then expand into a more thorough net session and despite being focused on his own practice, Punter would take the time look at the batsmen in the other net with him and share a tip or two based upon what he was doing. In this case it was Phillip Hughes – now set to step in to try fulfil the possible role at number 3 in the Test side which Punter occupied for the majority of his career.
The?lengthy practice session came to an end.
Many of the players had come and gone in a relatively short time frame just to have an intense bowl or a quick batting session. However, the last man to walk away was Ricky Ponting with Usman Khawaja and Justin Langer along side him. He was the first to be there and the last to leave.
You often hear the commentators mention this commitment but to see it first hand was special and it was just one of the few reasons Ricky Ponting will forever be one of the best I’ve seen. His work ethic was solid.
Read the rest of this article here.
This piece is from The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click here.
More...
