I'll miss Ponting's presence in ODI team: Clarke

Calcutta (The Telegraph): Having played more than 200 ODI matches together, a nostalgic Australian captain Michael Clarke said he will miss Ricky Ponting when his side will take on Sri Lanka on Friday.

“It’s going to be a weird feeling walking onto Hobart’s Blundstone Arena on Friday without Ricky Ponting. It’s going to be strange when I look around the field during our one-day match against Sri Lanka and can’t see him there,” Clarke wrote in his column for the Herald Sun.

“He has been such an important fixture of Australian cricket from the time I was still at school. We have played more than 200 one-day matches together and he has been such a big part of my cricketing life.”

Clarke got a chance to make his ODI debut for Australia in 2003 as Ponting was rested in that match in Adelaide. Recollecting the memory, Clarke said had Ponting not stood aside in that match he might never have got the opportunity to play ODI.

“Ironically perhaps I played my first game for Australia without Ricky in the side. He rested in Adelaide, which gave me the honour of playing in Australian colours for the first time. If Ricky had not stood aside in that match I may never have been given the opportunity to play one-day cricket for Australia.”

Clarke said the highest point of his ODI career was to win the World Cup 2007 undefeated under the captaincy of Ponting. “I have many fond memories of playing one-day cricket with Ricky but there was nothing more special than the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. It was my first World Cup and we went through undefeated with Punter as captain.”

Clarke was happy that he would be able to continue his partnership with Ponting, at least, in the Test matches. “There have been many times we have batted together in the limited overs game and I am delighted he has decided to keep playing Test cricket, so our partnership can continue. His experience and knowledge of the game is a driving force in our quest to be ranked the No.1 Test nation again.”

Apart from his batting capabilities, Ponting also stands out as a brilliant fielder, maintained Clarke. “To be second in the world behind Sachin Tendulkar as the leading run-scorer in the one-day game is rare company. Even at the age of 37, he remains one of the best fieldsmen in the world. That is not only a testament to his ability but his work ethic to maintain such high standards.”

Clarke also didn’t forget to sound the warning bell for others: perform or perish. “Absolutely everyone is on notice. If Ricky Ponting can be dropped after such a magnificent one-day career then the simple message is perform or perish. After the events of the past week that message could not be any clearer.”