A number of impressive batsmen are doing the rounds in world cricket and it’s a tough ask for anyone to single out any player. Ricky Ponting was one of the best batters of his generation in the formats he played. Recently, he had the opportunity to pick his best batsman. He could’ve gone for an Australian cricketer, however, he revealed Virat Kohli as the best current batter in the world.
Virat has thrived in all conditions and is presently an owner of the number of records. He has as many 56 international centuries and is speculated to scale greater heights with the passage of time. However, Ponting also mentioned that Steve Smith would’ve been his choice had he been playing currently. Smith was banned by Cricket Australia owing to the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Ponting’s words of praises for Smith
“Right now, he (Kohli) is because Steve Smith is not there. (But) if Steve Smith was playing now, I’d have him as the number one player in the world. That’s how high in regard I hold Steve Smith – what he’s done the last three or four years with his game and (he’s been) able to lead an Australian team to so many wins the way he has (batted),” Ponting was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
The former cricketer also lauded Smith on his brilliant run in the last Ashes against England. Smith racked up 687 runs in seven matches at an average of 137.40. “The Ashes summer last year was just some of the best and purest batting as you’re ever going to see. To do it on the big stage in an Ashes series, and to do it on the first day of an Ashes series when it counts the most, says a lot about him,” he added.
Smith is currently playing for the Toronto Nationals in the inaugural edition of the Global Canada T20 in Toronto, while Virat is in England where he and his Indian team are playing a couple of limited-overs series’. After the Men in Blue’s resounding run in the T20I series, they will play a three-match ODI series, which gets underway today at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
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