I wanted to share the other side to the story of Ricky Ponting and the growing opinion that his time is up as the Australian cricket captain.
JL's Blog: The story of Ricky Ponting
This in mind, I wanted to share the other side to the story of Ricky Ponting and the growing opinion that his time is up as the Australian cricket captain.
Over the last few months he has been called grumpy, petulant, spoilt, surly, a bad sportsman, a cheat, a con man and a washed up batsman.
He has endured an assassination of his character as well as questions about his leadership and batting.
While I have seen similar criticism of past players and legends, as they enter the twilight of their careers, it is never easy to sit back and watch the constant and relentless barrage of insults directed at fine men and leaders like Rick.
Such criticism is particularly irksome when it comes from past players who quickly forget how hard this game is and how much it hurts the player in the firing line.
It is fun for no one having to dodge pot shots from the growing number of commentary seats in the modern media world.
Coming from the other critics or commentators, you can almost grant them some benefit of the doubt.
They only write and say what they see and really have no idea what is really happening behind closed doors or a millimetre underneath the skin of the popular target.
Also, they really don't know what it is like to be in the cauldron, so a pinch of salt should be added to much of their opinion.
From my seat, what you see on the television set doesn't give you a true insight into Ponting the leader and player.
You would only have to spend five minutes within the Australian camp to understand the true impact he has on everyone he touches.
He is peerless in the way he goes about his training.
The intensity of his preparation is inspiring and he puts on a display of excellence every time he practices in the field or in the nets.
Unlike other ageing icons, he moves and throws like a man in his early twenties.
In terms of athleticism he is still in a league of his own.
When he throws the cricket ball into the baseball glove it scorches into the leather with a velocity that takes your breath away.
Only the super athletic Mitchell Johnson rivals such throwing power.
During the quarterfinal on Thursday, he fielded like a man possessed; diving, running, fighting for every play.
Again, he was in a league of his own, playing with the enthusiasm and energy of a hungry teenager.
The fact that he ran around like an AFL midfielder after making an inspirational century, batting for 40 overs in 40 degree heat, makes the effort even more memorable.
For a guy who was reportedly on the edge of extinction his performance was mind blowing.
Yes he had plenty to play for but rather than wilting, he got stronger and stronger throughout.
It wasn't until his World Cup dream was over that he finally fell down like a marathon runner at the finishing line.
This is where Ricky Ponting is different to most.
And, this is where I offer another side of the story to the one that has become a popular disintegration of one of our greatest players and leaders.
He eats, drinks, breathes and bleeds Australian cricket like no other.
This game and this team means so much to him that he does get frustrated and even a little grumpy sometimes but so what, he is human, and who doesn't get a bit hot under the collar every now and then.
Ask yourself this question. How do you feel when something that means everything to you, doesn't go your way?
How do you feel when people who know little about you, offer their opinion about your business?
How do you feel when you are tired and worn out you are giving every last inch of your effort and yet the results aren't going your way?
Do you ever get a little uptight, or frustrated, or even angry?
Of course you do, we all do, because we are human beings who have emotions and feelings.
Ricky Ponting is no different.
Over the last few weeks I have read about his 'fit of rage' when he smashed a television set in the changing room.
Give me a break.
On getting freakishly run out after a good start, he did what most batsmen do when they return to the changing room.
They swear a bit, rip off their pads and curse their bad luck.
On this occasion Punter, took out his box and threw it in frustration into his cricket bag.
As freakish as his direct hit run out a few minutes before, the protector bounced off the bag and flew towards the TV, clipping the very top corner of the screen.
Contrary to popular reports the TV didn't smash but rather a tiny section of the LCD screen became blurred.
Obviously this truth doesn't fit the description of a man under siege but that is the real side of the story, not one that fits the hungry, circling vultures looking to have their opinion heard.
Then we had the collision and ball throwing incident with Steve Smith.
After watching a pretty lax performance by the boys against the minnows Canada, the young enthusiastic Smith didn't hear the call from the skipper and nearly knocked the old fella off the ball like a good full back does to a full forward.
That's just what the captain needed, another broken finger and a dropped catch to go with an already lax fielding display. So he throws the ball down.
Within a few moments everyone is having a bit of a laugh about the hide of the young punk trying to steal the skippers catch and yet his frustration gets written up as a national disgrace and another chance to tear him down. Come on!
Finally, he is hauled over the coals for not walking against Pakistan. You have got to be joking.
He, like 99% of batsmen in international cricket don't walk, but hey let's kick him while he is down.
We can be good at that us Australians.
For all those people who say he should walk, I will ask them another question, did they walk? Silly question because those souls firing the arrows would never know because they haven't been out there to know.
Watching him, as all this unfolded I couldn't help but wonder if he would soon hit the canvas.
Just a few more jabs and he must go down. Surely he can't take anymore.
I should have known better.
Like the great champion he is, he didn't retreat or surrender but instead did what he does best. He got on the front foot and played the game of his life.
At the end, his team lost and he will have to bare the brunt of that, but it wasn't through a lack of his brilliant determination or skill.
Punter knows that the only currency of value is runs.
It always has been and always will be for a batsman in international cricket.
He is as aware as anyone that he needs to keep making runs to keep the executioner from the door.
He also feels the losses of the Ashes and a the World Cup quarterfinal more than anyone but if he is still not in the best 11 players in Australia right now, and going forward, then I am a bad judge.
Like the great Sachin Tendulkar, these two modern day geniuses are just different than the rest.
They are different creatures than any of the other players I have rubbed shoulders with.
Their endurance and hunger for the game is unquenchable and that is why they should be preserved and admired rather than admonished and forced to leave a stage in which they still have so much to give.
Ricky Ponting provides a blue print for all of the young players coming into the Australian cricket team.
His example is so powerful that he needs to be around in this time; a time where Australian cricket needs to find new leaders and stars to take us in a positive future direction.
How he is used best is worthy of discussion, but he has to be around this team right now.
When the great Allan Border, Ian Healy, Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor retired they left teams that were still performing well. Their loss had an impact but life went on.
If Ricky Ponting was forced to leave now, his loss, in my opinion, would almost be as great as that of Shane Warne.
His leadership through example, on and off the cricket field, is immense and we should be encouraging him to stay not following popular opinion by sending this iconic superstar out to his beloved golf courses.
He has plenty of time for that and we can't afford to have him riding off into the sunset right now. He still has to much to offer.
From Dubai
JL
For more about Justin Langer visit http://www.justinlanger.com.au/