Ricky Ponting the great - Batsman, Skipper and Sledger

9. Controversies:

Ponting had his shares of controversies as well both as a player and as a captain. The most unforgettable ones are those in the 2008 Test against India at the MCG. There were several instances of unfair appeals for catches claimed by the Australians, including one from Ricky Ponting himself who took a catch at silly point and claimed it, despite replays showing the ball had touched the ground.

Another controversy erupted when Sourav Ganguly was caught at slips by Michael Clarke, but the catch was not a clean one. But Pointing signaled to the umpire that Ganguly was out, since he was saying so, Umpire Benson took Ponting’s word and gave Ganguly out, but the replays showed that the catch was a bump catch.

His biggest controversy came when Ponting was run out by a substitute Gary Pratt in an Ashes Test in 2005. He was upset with England using substitute fielders in giving rest to their fast bowlers and when he was run out by one, he had some choicest expletives for the English balcony as he made his way back to the pavilion.