Ricky Thomas Ponting

Profile:

His country's one-day international captain, Ricky Ponting is one of Australia's most exciting modern-day players. Among the finest cricketers that Tasmania has ever produced, he is a precociously gifted batsman, a handy though rarely used medium pace bowler, and an outstanding fieldsman.

A player whose approach to the game brims with dynamism and confidence, Ponting made his debut for his state at the age of just 17 and his first Test appearance when he was only 20. In each of those matches (he made 56 on first-class debut against South Australia in Adelaide and then compiled 96 in his first Test appearance against Sri Lanka in Perth in 1995/96), he powerfully showcased two qualities which have remained with him ever since - namely, a hatred of slow scoring and an ability to play virtually every shot in the book.

Ponting began his Test career in the number six position but, having always looked destined to fill a spot higher in the order, gradually came to assume a berth at number three. This shift has complemented his success, over a long period and at the heart of many powerful Australian victories, as an upper order batsman at one-day international level. Widely identified as one of the world's most devastating exponents of the hook, the pull and the square cut, his capacity to upset the rhythm of all manner of bowlers has been crucial in helping Australia establish itself as international cricket's most formidable team over the last half-decade.

Ponting's career stalled briefly following his involvement in two off-field incidents - the first at a nightclub in Calcutta in 1998 and the other at a bar in Sydney in early 1999. He also endured a period on the sidelines after he seriously injured his ankle in crashing into a boundary hoarding at the SCG in February 2000.