KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has heaped praise on former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, describing him as an exceptional leader whose tactical understanding of cricket always inspires.
In a recent interview with a local sports site, Shadab said he feels lucky to have met Ponting and discussed the game with him, adding that the Australian legend’s sharp cricketing mind is evident in his commentary as he continues to be “ahead of the game”.
“I think Ricky is amazing and I’m lucky to have met him and talked about the game with him. His leadership skills come through even when he’s commentating cricket because you can feel how far ahead of the game he is. I’ve always looked up to him,” Shadab said.
Ponting is widely regarded as one of Australia’s greatest captains, leading the national team through one of the most dominant periods in cricket history.
He captained Australia in 77 Tests, scoring 48 for an impressive win percentage of 62.34. In One Day Internationals, he led the team in 229 matches and registered 164 hits with a remarkable success rate of 71.61%.
Under Ponting’s leadership, Australia won back-to-back ICC Cricket World Cups in 2003 and 2007, going undefeated in both tournaments. He was also a key member of Australia’s 1999 World Cup winning team.
Overall, Ponting is the only Australian captain to win two ODI World Cup titles and is widely recognized as one of the most successful captains in the history of international cricket.
Meanwhile, Shadab was recently appointed as the Desert Vipers captain for the third edition of the Global Super League (GSL) to be held from July 23 to August 1.
The Pakistani leg-spinner replaced Australian all-rounder Chris Green, who was initially named captain but was forced to pull out of the tournament after sustaining a hand injury while playing county cricket in England.
Five teams will compete in the 2026 Global Super League 11 matches, with all matches scheduled to be played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.