Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has suggested he is open to moving to MLS when the time comes for him to leave the German giants.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Knight had injured her lower back during the opening overs of the first ODI of the series in Coolidge
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2019The CWI interim selection panel has replaced the injured Kycia Knight with Britney Cooper for the third and final ODI of the series against Australia, on Wednesday in Antigua.Knight had injured her lower back during the opening overs of the first ODI of the series in Coolidge, where Australia thrashed West Indies by 178 runs. Knight did not bat in the West Indies chase as a result, and did not feature in the second game. After “examining the scans” done on her, the CWI medical panel ruled Knight of the third ODI.Cooper joined the team in Antigua on Monday in preparation for the final game even as West Indies trail the series 0-2.Cooper last played an ODI in June in England but her single-digit scores in the series led to her omission from the original ODI squad against Australia. In six international innings this year – two ODIs and four T20Is – she has scored only 57 runs so far with a high score of 20.West Indies are also without their regular vice-captain Hayley Matthews, who had been withdrawn from the series just hours before the start of the opening ODI, due to disciplinary issues. The exact nature of her breach of the code of conduct is not known yet.
The league's latest social media feature highlights jaw-dropping skills and tekkers from Matchday 3
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now
Ecclestone’s 3 for 13 and Capsey’s 51 ensured England’s wobble didn’t cost them the win
Matt Roller13-Feb-2023England stumbled across the line against Ireland in Paarl, winning by four wickets with the better part of six overs remaining after Alice Capsey thrashed 51 off 22 balls.Capsey fell immediately after reaching a 21-ball half-century, the joint-fastest in Women’s T20 World Cup history, as England looked for a net run-rate boost in pursuit of 106. They stuttered after her dismissal, losing 5 for 33, but Ireland’s own collapse with the bat ensured there was never any scoring pressure on England.Ireland were aggressive with the bat after winning the toss. They reached 80 for 2 after 12 overs, with Gaby Lewis playing fluently after surviving a dropped chance off Lauren Bell in the first over. But they fell away dramatically, losing 8 for 25 in 35 balls. Sophie Ecclestone made the crucial intervention, dismissing Lewis in a double-wicket maiden which sparked a dramatic collapse.Ecclestone took a sharp, diving catch at mid-off in the following over to dismiss Louise Little and leave Ireland five down, before Sarah Glenn struck twice in her final over. Ecclestone yorked Ireland captain Laura Delany with her final ball to finish with 3 for 13, with Bell and Katherine Sciver-Brunt striking either side.Ireland needed early wickets – and got one, as Sophia Dunkley chipped to mid-on. But they bowled poorly with the new ball, with the nerves of a young team playing their first T20 World Cup fixture in four-and-a-half years.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Capsey was disdainful, swinging her way to England’s fastest fifty in this format – before lofting Arlene Kelly to long-off. Cara Murray took three wickets with her legbreaks after Danni Wyatt ran herself out to take the shine off England’s win, but they secured the two points with 34 balls to spare.
Ireland had not played in a Women’s T20 World Cup since 2018 but expectations were high after their victory against defending champions Australia in a warm-up fixture. They became higher still when they crashed four fours off the first nine balls of the innings, openers Lewis and Amy Hunter trading boundaries.Lewis, Ireland’s all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is, set the tone when she pounded the first ball she faced through backward point for four, though did benefit from some early luck. She cut her fourth ball straight to Wyatt, who shelled a straightforward chance at point.Heather Knight turned to spin in the third over on a dry, used pitch but Lewis continued to score fluently, reverse-sweeping and sweeping boundaries. Hunter holed out to deep midwicket off Charlie Dean, but Ireland raced to 42 for 1 off the six-over Powerplay.After two lengthy delays to fix a loose stump-camera cable, Orla Prendergast’s bright cameo ended when she was bowled by a ball from Glenn that kept low, but Lewis and captain Delany continued to tick over, reaching 80 for 2 at the end of the 12th over as they looked to build a platform for a late launch.
Ecclestone is Knight’s trump card, and she opted to play it in the 13th over, looking to break the burgeoning partnership between Lewis and Delany. It worked, as Lewis top-edged a sweep to Wyatt – who hung onto this low chance at deep backward square leg – and Ireland’s middle order was exposed.Eimear Richardson was trapped lbw, looking to paddle-sweep her first ball. Louise Little survived the hat-trick ball and lofted Dean back over her head for Ireland’s only six, but miscued her next delivery to Ecclestone at mid-off.Glenn struck twice in her next over. First, she trapped Waldron – playing her record 180th game for Ireland – lbw on the sweep and then crashed one into Leah Paul’s middle-and-off stump. Ireland had lost five wickets in 17 balls, and the game was over as a contest.
England needed only 33 off 13 overs when Murray was introduced, and Delany must have rued holding her back so long. A wicket fell in her first over when Wyatt pushed to short cover and set off for a single that was never there, and Murray had her own first wicket with her seventh ball when Nat Sciver-Brunt holed out to long-off.Knight and Amy Jones both fell with the finish line in sight, Knight diverting a ball onto her own stumps via the glove and Jones chipping meekly into the covers. But Ireland never had quite enough runs to play with, and England’s implosion came a little too late to give Ireland any real hope.
Knight admitted before the tournament that the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction was “on everyone’s minds”, saying: “It would be naive to think it isn’t a slight distraction.” Before Monday’s game had started, three England players – Nat Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley and Ecclestone – had secured contracts, but Knight herself went unsold in the first round of bidding.By the innings break, three more players had deals: Capsey, Bell and Knight herself, with travelling reserve Issy Wong also picked up. The rest of the squad went unsold, and Knight will need to ensure players’ franchise contracts do not become a distraction across the rest of the tournament.
With the January transfer window on the horizon, it could well prove to be a nervy month for those of a Celtic persuasion, with talk already rife regarding significant interest in emerging superstar, Nicolas Kuhn.
Reportedly on the list for the likes of Premier League side Brentford – amid suggestions of a £25m price tag – the German has caught the attention after a stunning start to the campaign, scoring ten goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 17 games in all competitions.
Having been signed for roughly £3m back in January this year, the Hoops look set to make a significant profit on the 24-year-old in the near future, albeit amid the hope of keeping the wing wizard on board for a good few years yet.
Debate over whether or not the former Rapid Vienna star will leave in the winter is perhaps for another day, with it instead best to celebrate the impact that Kuhn is making in the here and now.
|
Celtic – Top scorers by season |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Player |
Games |
Goals |
|
2024/25* |
Nicolas Kuhn |
17 |
10 |
|
2023/24 |
Matt O’Riley |
49 |
19 |
|
2023/24 |
Kyogo Furuhashi |
50 |
19 |
|
2022/23 |
Kyogo Furuhashi |
50 |
34 |
|
2021/22 |
Kyogo Furuhashi |
33 |
20 |
|
2020/21 |
Odsonne Edouard |
40 |
22 |
|
2019/20 |
Odsonne Edouard |
47 |
29 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Praise should most certainly be directed toward the recruitment team and manager Brendan Rodgers, with the club having enjoyed a fair few hits in the market of late, despite some early misses…
The Northern Irishman’s second stint in charge at Parkhead began in auspicious fashion, with the summer window in 2023 going down like a lead balloon.
Among those signed, Gustaf Lagerbielke has since been shipped on loan to FC Twente – with Hyeok-kyu Kwon also now at Hibernian – while Marco Tilio returned to Australia faster than you could blink.
Equally, both Maik Nawrocki and Odin Holm have still yet to settle after making just four appearances combined this term, while Luis Palma has also tumbled down the pecking order after starting just two games so far in 2024/25.
Those may be the negatives, but it has been a largely positive tale since then, with Kuhn arriving in January, before the likes of Kasper Schmeichel were added in the most recent window.
The experienced Dane – who was acquired on a free transfer – has since kept 11 clean sheets in just 18 outings in all competitions, while ahead of him, young loanee Alex Valle has slotted in smoothly, with three assists to his name already.
More will be expected of £9.5m man, Adam Idah, in attack, after a return of just five goals thus far, although in the midfield ranks, the Matt O’Riley void has been somewhat filled with the additions of Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan.
One further capture that certainly raised a few eyebrows was that of Auston Trusty, but the former Sheffield United man is swiftly repaying his £6m transfer fee.
Celtic supporters may have been fearing a Lagerbielke or Nawrocki repeat when Trusty rocked up in Glasgow over the summer, with the centre-back ranks having endured something of a merry-go-round of late.
Early performances were hardly too inspiring either, with the United States international looking uncomfortable lining up in a right centre-back berth, in the absence of compatriot Cameron Carter-Vickers, having notably been part of the side that shipped seven away in Dortmund.
That said, ever since the heroic performance in Bergamo against Europa League holders, Atalanta – which pundit Frank McAvennie described as his “best game for Celtic” – the lanky left-footer has looked far more composed, having ousted the reliable Liam Scales as the starting partner to Carter-Vickers.
The Premiership may not always provide the strongest test, but Trusty has shown his class, and then some, on the Champions League stage, having also been “phenomenal” in the deserved 3-1 win over RB Leipzig earlier this month, as per Chris Sutton.
It is performances like that which have ensured that the one-time Arsenal man – who notably shackled a certain Benjamin Sesko when facing the Bundesliga side – now ranks as the top defensive centre-back outside of Europe’s top five leagues, as per the great minds at CIES Football Observatory.
Interestingly, that top ten list also includes Sporting CP sensation, Ousmane Diomande, with the Ivorian starlet placing just behind Trusty in third, having also dazzled in Portugal of late under Ruben Amorim’s watch.
Why is this important? Well, it is worth noting that Diomande – like Kuhn – is courting the attention of clubs across Europe, with the likes of Arsenal and Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur both chasing the 20-year-old, who boasts a £68m release clause in his contract.
Again, it is not as if the Old Firm side will – or should – be contemplating making a possible profit on Trusty so soon into his Parkhead stint, yet that comparison to Diomande illustrates the impact he is making in his new surroundings.
A £68m valuation is fanciful for the American machine, but what can be said is that perhaps the centre-back’s £6m fee no longer looks that hefty. Instead, if current performances are anything to go by, it could prove a bargain.
He's outscoring Kuhn: Rodgers could land his next Dembele at Celtic
Celtic are believed to be in the market for another centre-forward
By
Robbie Walls
Nov 14, 2024
Australia batter has been in discussions to play “three or four games” of county cricket at start of summer
Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Jan-2023Steven Smith is moving closer to a County Championship deal with Sussex in pole position to acquire the Australia batter on a short-term deal for the start of the 2023 season.A report in the on Thursday cited Hove as the likeliest destination for Smith, who has spent the last few months in discussions with county sides over a possible stint of “three or four games”. ESPNcricinfo understands Smith was ideally looking at joining a club in Division One, with Kent seen as an ideal given his links to the county following a stint in club cricket at Sevenoaks Vine CC in 2007, which led to a one-off second-team appearance at Canterbury. However, the club’s situation and Smith’s availability did not align. No contract has yet been signed with Sussex, who play in Division Two, with a decision expected in the coming week.The short-term deal would allow Smith to acclimatise to English conditions ahead of Australia’s likely appearance in the World Test Championship final at the Kia Oval in June, along with the Ashes series that follows, beginning at Edgbaston on June 16. The 33-year-old is forgoing this year’s IPL, a period he will use to return home after Australia’s four-Test series in India which finishes in the middle of March.Related
Steven Smith signs for three Championship games with Sussex
Sussex bring in Shadab Khan for Vitality Blast
Neil Wagner signs up for Yorkshire Championship spell
Smith on his future: 'I really can't say how long I'll play for'
Khawaja: Australia's stability will serve them well in India
This would be Smith’s first red-ball experience in county cricket, and the pull of a player of his undoubted quality is all too clear. He averages 60.89 in Test cricket – a figure that only drops to 59.55 across 16 Tests in England – and has 30 centuries in the format. His previous dalliance with the English domestic game came in 2010 when he played five T20 matches for Worcestershire.However in 2007, Smith was presented with the opportunity of forging a long-term future in English cricket when Surrey offered him a full-time contract after he was scouted by their first team coach at the time, Alan Butcher. Smith has British citizenship through his mother, Gillian, who was born in London, and ended up playing two matches for Surrey 2nd XI, but turned down the offer with a view to continuing his progression at New South Wales. His one-off appearance for Kent 2nd XI came earlier that summer. As it happens, Paul Farbrace, the new head coach at Sussex, was Kent’s academy and 2nd XI coach at the time.Smith’s presence in the English domestic game will present a concern for the national team, offering vital preparation for a rival ahead of their attempts to reclaim the Ashes. Such a dilemma was put to Ben Stokes on the recent tour of Pakistan, and England’s Test captain was conflicted on the matter.”It’s good for the county game to see players of Steve’s calibre want to come over and play,” Stokes said. “But I don’t know. It’s one of those where you probably prefer them not to get any game time in England before the Ashes. It is what it is.”However, Mo Bobat, ECB’s performance director, insisted that the benefits of Smith’s presence on the county circuit would cut both ways.”You end up being fairly split,” he said. “Any good player coming to our domestic system will raise the standard of it. In many ways it’s good. It’s good for our bowlers to bowl at Steve Smith. It’s good for young batters to bat with him. There is upside.”Specifically with the Ashes. Yeah, you could say it helps him prep and that could be a disadvantage to England. I don’t spend too much time thinking about that. We just try to control what we can do. I think, and I’m sure that Brendon and Ben would be the same, if we play to our potential we know we are a match for anyone and can beat anyone, the way we are playing our cricket. We will focus on that.”At times it’s disappointing that our players aren’t afforded the same opportunities overseas,” Bobat added. “I’d love to get more of our players in first-class cricket overseas. It’s notoriously difficult. It’s not particularly easy in Australia, can’t really do it in India, we’ve done it at times before in Sri Lanka. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it would be nice if our players could sample a bit of that in red-ball cricket. It’s not easy, though.”Should Smith sign for Sussex, he will be a replacement for Jayden Seales. The West Indian quick was due to be the club’s second overseas player alongside India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, but has been ruled out of the start of the English summer after requiring surgery on an injury to his left knee.It is understood Sussex, who went through a turbulent period under the joint coaching team of Ian Salisbury and James Kirtley before the appointment of Farbrace, are also looking to bring in Australia allrounder Sean Abbott on an all-format deal, and Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan for the Vitality Blast.
A reunion between Neymar and Barcelona seems to have been ruled out, with the club aiming to sign a much younger attacker as a reinforcement.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Healy and Litchfield put on an unbroken 202-run stand after King and Wareham led the bowling effort
Valkerie Baynes16-Oct-20253:44
Review: Watch out, Healy is back!
Australia 202 for 0 (Healy 113*, Litchfield 84*) beat Bangladesh 198 for 9 (Mostary 66*, Haider 44, King 2-18, Wareham 2-22) by 10 wicketsThis one followed the script, even if it wasn’t a flawless performance by Australia.With back-to-back centuries, Alyssa Healy led Australia to a 10-wicket victory against Bangladesh in Visakhapatnam, some 24 hours after the Colombo weather intervened to ensure there would be no twist featuring Pakistan and England in what has been a predictable World Cup results-wise so far.An unbroken partnership worth 202 with Phoebe Litchfield, who was unbeaten with 84, kept defending champions Australia unbeaten during this edition and moved them ahead of England at the top of the points table, guaranteeing a place in the semi-finals.Alana King was pivotal in restricting Bangladesh to 198 for 9 with an impressive 2 for 18 from her 10 overs, which included four maidens. Fellow legspinner Georgia Wareham finished with 2 for 22 from seven.Meanwhile, Australia coughed up a rare six dropped catches, missed an appeal for another and leaked 28 runs from the last three overs of the Bangladesh innings, most of them to Sobhana Mostary who posted a spirited 66 not out.Sobhana Mostary punches one straight down the ground•ICC/Getty Images
But with only Rubya Haider joining Mostary in passing 19 among the Bangladesh batting line-up, their total looked too lean.So it proved as Healy followed her 142 against India at the same venue with 113 off just 77 balls to lead her side to the highest successful run chase without losing a wicket at a Women’s World Cup and the second-highest in women’s ODIs.She finished with a flourish, striking three consecutive fours through the off side off Ritu Moni and Litchfield ended their pursuit with 25.1 overs to spare via back-to-back boundaries in the next over off Fariha Trisna.That said, Trisna, playing her first match of the tournament while fellow seamer Marufa Akter was rested, opened with a maiden and Nishita Akter Nishi, brought in for injured spinner Nahida Akter, conceded just three off her first over as Healy and Litchfield settled into a rhythm.But from there, Australia’s top-order duo pressed the pedal, racing to 78 without loss at the end of the first powerplay, Healy managing to slash one through Fahima Khatun’s hands at midwicket and edging just shy of her off stump for back-to-back fours in the 10th over.Litchfield was particularly proactive early, advancing down the pitch and manipulating her crease en route to a 46-ball fifty shortly after Healy raised her half-century off 43.Nigar Sultana, the Bangladesh captain and regular wicketkeeper gave the gloves to Rubya and directed traffic from the outfield but Ritu Moni looked aghast when Rubya fumbled a stumping chance of her bowling when Litchfield was on 46. Healy received her own slice of luck when her top-edged sweep off Shorna Akter was put down at short fine leg.Alana King finished with figures of 10-4-18-2•ICC/Getty Images
King and Wareham had kept Bangladesh in check despite Mostary’s efforts as she scored the second half-century of her ODI career – and second at this World Cup – to help Bangladesh to their highest ODI total against Australia.Rubya added a valuable 44 runs amid an uncharacteristic rash of missed opportunities by Australia. She was twice dropped on 22, Litchfield failing to hold a tough chance at slip off Megan Schutt and Healy spilling one behind the stumps off Darcie Brown. She moved to 44 off 59 balls before picking out Tahlia McGrath at mid-on to give Ash Gardner her first wicket.King took two wickets for just one run in the space of 23 balls through the middle overs. She extended Nigar’s lean run with the one that enticed her out of her crease then turned away as Healy whipped off the bails in time, and then drew Shorna into an edge which went low to Beth Mooney at slip.Wareham tightened Australia’s grip with her first five overs yielding just six runs and the wickets of Ritu and Rabeya Khan to make it 162 for 8. Interspersed with those dismissals, Annabel Sutherland removed Fahima and Nishita, the latter after overturning an lbw decision, and she now sits at the top of the leading wicket-takers’ list outright for the tournament with 12.Mostary could have been gone on 32 when she flicked at a short ball down the leg side from Brown that was signalled wide to a muted Australian appeal with replays showing it had come off her glove before Healy gathered.Mostary launched a campaign for late runs, steering a Gardner delivery through deep third for four to bring up her fifty. Gardner saw Mostary put down twice off consecutive balls when Sutherland couldn’t hold what would have been an excellent catch running to wide long-on and Wareham parried one to the boundary rope from deep midwicket.But Australia’s efforts with the ball and the bat papered over some cracks they will certainly be aiming to fill permanently ahead of next Wednesday’s clash with England.
Manchester City may be in the driving seat for the Premier League title again, but the 2023/24 campaign has been another positive one for Arsenal Football Club and one full of promise.
Mikel Arteta's side look magnitudes more composed this year, as demonstrated by their lack of collapse compared to the last two seasons, and their incredible goal difference (+57) shows how clinical and organised they have become.
It's a squad filled with excellent players such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and even Kai Havertz – much to the chagrin of Chelsea fans.
Still, there is one who is perhaps the most important to Arteta's system, a player who has been compared to James Maddison in the past but has seen his valuation soar past the Englishman's this term.
Of course, the player in question is Norwegian superstar and former wonderkid Martin Odegaard, who, over the last few years, has made the Gunners midfield his own.
However, before he joined the red side of North London on a permanent deal in the summer of 2021 for just £34m, there were genuine conversations among fans and pundits about whether Arteta should go for the then-Leicester City ace Maddison instead.
Edu Gaspar and Co opted to sign the former Real Madrid prospect and a couple of years later the Foxes star finally moved to North London, only instead of donning red and white, he now wears just the latter, but how have the pair fared this season? And did Arsenal make a mistake back in 2021?
So, from a purely output perspective, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, the Spurs ace has missed 13 games for club and country this season, while the Arsenal captain has remained injury-free for the most part, missing just five games for club and country in November.
Second, due to the Gunners' European adventures, the Drammen-born star has played significantly more games than his counterpart, coming in at 45 across all competitions to the Lilywhites ace's 25. So, to make it a more accurate reflection, this comparison is based purely on their Premier League performances.
|
Maddison vs Odegaard: Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Players |
Maddison |
Odegaard |
|
Appearances |
23 |
32 |
|
Goals |
4 |
8 |
|
Assists |
7 |
8 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.47 |
0.50 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
With that said, in his 23 games this season, the former Norwich City gem has scored four goals and provided seven assists, meaning he's producing a goal involvement on average every two games.
In comparison, the Norway captain has scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 32 league games so far, giving him a goal involvement on average every two games as well.
However, the major difference here is how the pair have played post-Maddison's injury.
In the 12 games the Lilywhites star has played since his return, he has provided just two assists and scored one goal, while his competitor has provided five assists and scored four goals of his own across the 14 league games he has played in that period.
|
Maddison vs Odegaard: Post injury |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Players |
Maddison |
Odegaard |
|
Appearances |
12 |
14 |
|
Goals |
1 |
4 |
|
Assists |
2 |
5 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.23 |
0.64 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
It's clear from these numbers that both players are incredibly creative and effective midfielders in their own regard, but the Englishman's drop off in output post-injury is impossible to ignore and likely to affect his valuation.
Now, while there isn't much to separate the two midfield maestros regarding their output across the season as a whole, there is a massive difference in how the pair are valued.
According to the CIES Football Observatory, the "incredible" Spurs ace, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is worth just €40m, which is around £34m. In comparison, the "electric" Arsenal gem, as described by Izzy Christiansen, is valued at a whopping €150m, which converts to around £128m, or more than three times the valuation of his London rival.
This might seem like a massive difference for two quality players, but it likely takes into account the fact that Maddison is two years older than his competition, has a significantly worse injury record that shows no sign of improving, has minimal European experience, and, perhaps most crucially, he has never shown any leadership qualities, unlike the Gunners star, who captains his club and national side.
|
Arsenal & Tottenham's five most valuable players |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Valuation |
Arsenal Player |
Valuation |
Tottenham Player |
|
€200m (£171m) |
Bukayo Saka |
€80m (£68m) |
Dejan Kulusevski |
|
€150m (£128m) |
Martin Odegaard |
€80m (£68m) |
Destiny Udogie |
|
€100m (£86m) |
Gabriel Martinelli |
€60m (£51m) |
Pedro Porro |
|
€100m (£86m) |
Kai Havertz |
€60m (£51m) |
Cristian Romero |
|
€100m (£86m) |
Declan Rice |
€60m (£51m) |
Brennan Johnson |
|
Arsenal & Tottenham Valuations via the CIES Football Observatory |
|||
Ultimately, while the Lilywhites dynamo is an undeniably talented and entertaining player to watch, Arsenal played a blinder by signing Odegaard instead, and his recent valuation is just more validation of their decision back in 2021.
Arsenal eyeing 'unstoppable' Jesus upgrade who was in London on Sunday
The incredible talent has shades of Lukas Podolski about him.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
May 1, 2024
No other captain has won as many international matches as Ricky Ponting
S Rajesh29-Mar-2011With 219 wins in the 322 matches in which he led Australia, Ricky Ponting is easily the most successful captain in the history of international cricket. The two World Cups triumphs – in 2003 and 2007 – two Champions Trophies, and a 5-0 drubbing of England in the Ashes home series in 2006-07 were the most prominent results he achieved as captain, but there were several other notable ones too, during a period when Australia won much more than they lost.And through all the rigours of captaincy, Ponting ensured that his batting remained largely unaffected – his Test average fell only marginally during the period when he was captain, while his ODI stats improved. In the 77 Tests in which he led, Ponting averaged 51.51, which isn’t far away from his average of 55.97 when he wasn’t captain. In ODIs, he averaged 43.30 as captain, and 41.37 otherwise. It also helped that through most of Ponting’s tenure as leader, he was the best batsman of the side, with the ability to either convert on a strong start from his No.3 slot, or consolidate and rebuild after the loss of an early wicket.Among captains who’ve led in at least 50 Tests, Ponting’s win-loss ratio of 3.00 is next only to those of his predecessor Steve Waugh (who won 41 and lost only nine), and Viv Richards (win-loss ratio of 3.37). Clive Lloyd is the other captain with a ratio of 3, winning 36 and losing 12. Five of Ponting’s 16 losses came in his last seven Tests, during which period Australia won only once. That means Ponting’s win-loss record after the victory against Pakistan at Lord’s last year was 47-11, a ratio of 4.27.In ODIs, though, Ponting’s record stays the best despite defeats in his last two games as captain. In fact, the gulf between the top two and the rest is huge: Ponting’s win-loss was 3.28, Hansie Cronje’s was 2.82, but none of the others touched 2. Of the 29 games he captained in the World Cup, Australia won 26, tied one, and lost only two. In fact, of the 34-match unbeaten run that Australia enjoyed in World Cups, 27 came during Ponting’s captaincy.
| Captain | Tests | Wins | Losses | Draws | W/L ratio |
| Steve Waugh | 57 | 41 | 9 | 7 | 4.55 |
| Viv Richards | 50 | 27 | 8 | 15 | 3.37 |
| Clive Lloyd | 74 | 36 | 12 | 26 | 3.00 |
| Ricky Ponting | 77 | 48 | 16 | 13 | 3.00 |
| Hansie Cronje | 53 | 27 | 11 | 15 | 2.45 |
| Michael Vaughan | 51 | 26 | 11 | 14 | 2.36 |
| Captain | ODIs | Wins | Losses | W/L ratio |
| Ricky Ponting | 228 | 164 | 50 | 3.28 |
| Hansie Cronje | 138 | 99 | 35 | 2.82 |
| Steve Waugh | 106 | 67 | 35 | 1.91 |
| Viv Richards | 105 | 67 | 36 | 1.86 |
| Graeme Smith | 150 | 92 | 51 | 1.80 |
| MS Dhoni | 100 | 57 | 35 | 1.62 |
As mentioned earlier, Ponting’s batting stats as captain are pretty impressive. The only aspect that’s slightly disappointing is his conversion rate as captain: out of the 54 times he topped 50, his century count was only 19.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate | 100s/ 50s | |
| Tests – as captain | 77 | 6542 | 51.51 | 60.62 | 19/ 35 |
| Tests – as batsman | 75 | 5821 | 55.97 | 58.00 | 20/ 21 |
| ODIs – as captain | 228 | 8488 | 43.30 | 83.61 | 22/ 51 |
| ODIs – as batsman | 131 | 4800 | 41.37 | 75.48 | 8/ 28 |
A question of personnel
Ponting’s captaincy record is exceptional, but those who question his tactical nous claim the wins were largely because of an exceptional team who needed little leadership. Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden were the three top-class players who were around through the first third of Ponting’s captaincy career, but none of them were there through the last third. The contrast in the numbers is stark: in the 24 Tests when the trio was around, Ponting averaged almost 79, scored ten centuries, and Australia had a 19-0 win-loss record. When the trio departed, Ponting’s average dropped to almost half, his rate of converting fifties into centuries diminished visibly, and Australia lost far more often.The team results were obviously likely to worsen, but what would have been far more disappointing for Ponting are his own batting stats – his form dropped away just when the team needed him more.
| Tests | Runs | Average | 100s/ 50s | Wins/losses | |
| With Hayden, McGrath, Warne | 24 | 2677 | 78.73 | 10/ 11 | 19/ 0 |
| Without Hayden, McGrath, Warne | 28 | 2001 | 40.02 | 3/ 13 | 14/ 9 |
In ODIs, McGrath and Hayden were the two who played through the first third of Ponting’s captaincy career. Australia’s win-loss ratio went down significantly after they left, but Ponting’s batting stats didn’t suffer as much as they did in Tests. His conversion rate, though, dropped in ODIs too.
| ODIs | Runs | Average | Strike rate | 100s/ 50s | Wins/ losses | |
| With Hayden & McGrath | 73 | 2601 | 46.44 | 84.33 | 6/ 14 | 59/ 10 |
| Without Hayden & McGrath | 84 | 3326 | 41.57 | 83.37 | 6/ 25 | 54/ 25 |
Leading by example
Overall, though, Ponting’s batting stats as captain are still exceptional: he is one of only seven batsmen to score more than 4000 Test runs as captain. Among those seven, only Brian Lara and Greg Chappell have a higher average. Ponting is also the only captain to score a century in each innings of a Test on three occasions; it’s a feat that’s only happened 13 times in Test history, and no other captain has done it more than once.
| Batsman | Tests | Runs | Average | 100s/ 50s |
| Brian Lara | 47 | 4685 | 57.83 | 14/ 19 |
| Greg Chappell | 48 | 4209 | 55.38 | 13/ 19 |
| Ricky Ponting | 77 | 6542 | 51.51 | 19/ 35 |
| Clive Lloyd | 74 | 5233 | 51.30 | 14/ 27 |
| Allan Border | 93 | 6623 | 50.94 | 15/ 36 |
| Graeme Smith | 83 | 6851 | 49.28 | 20/ 27 |
| Stephen Fleming | 80 | 5156 | 40.59 | 8/ 31 |
In ODIs, no captain comes close to Ponting’s tally of 8488 runs: the next-best is Stephen Fleming with 6295. Ponting’s 22 centuries is twice the tally of the second-best, Sourav Ganguly. Twenty of those hundreds came in winning causes; the two which didn’t were his 164 in ODI against South Africa in Johannesburg, and his 104 against India in the World Cup defeat in Ahmedabad. He has scored 6977 ODI runs in wins, which is more than 3000 ahead of the next-best.