Cricket

Australia A, chasing 225, are on the cusp of victory against India A, needing just 86 more runs with seven wickets in hand. Nathan McSweeney, batting at No. 4, has impressed with an unbeaten 47, bolstering his case for a Test debut.Ricky Ponting, Australia's former captain, has endorsed McSweeney for the vacant opening spot in the Test line-up, citing his experience and adaptability. McSweeney has faced over 200 deliveries in the ongoing match, showcasing his ability to handle challenging conditions.Despite starts from Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, and Marcus Harris, none could convert them into substantial scores. Konstas was dismissed for 15, while Bancroft and Harris fell for 18 and 36, respectively.India A's innings ended on 312, with Sai Sudharsan scoring a century and Devdutt Padikkal contributing 88. Todd Murphy was the standout bowler for Australia A, claiming three wickets, including Sudharsan and Padikkal.Fergus O'Neill also impressed with three wickets, while Beau Webster and Murphy picked up one each. India A lost their last eight wickets for 86 runs, handing Australia A the advantage.With the second match of the series set to take place in Melbourne next week, the performance of McSweeney and the other opening contenders will be closely scrutinized as Australia seeks to finalize their Test squad.

Former Australian cricketers Ricky Ponting and Ian Healy have endorsed Nathan McSweeney as the ideal candidate to fill the vacant opening slot in the national team for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. With David Warner's retirement and Steve Smith's return to his preferred number 4 position, Australia is seeking a reliable opening partner for Usman Khawaja.McSweeney, the captain of Australia A, has impressed with his recent performances, scoring 291 runs in his last four innings, including a century in the Sheffield Shield and the One-Day Cup. Ponting believes McSweeney's experience and leadership qualities make him the most suitable choice."He's got the most out of any of those guys from the 'A' game in Australia at the moment," Ponting said. "And he's more experienced. He has captained Australia A in the past, and he's captaining them now. So, I'm leaning towards McSweeney now for that opening role at the start of the Australian summer."Healy echoed Ponting's sentiments, praising McSweeney's batting ability and maturity. "I was glad people could see how Nathan McSweeney can bat yesterday," Healy said. "He showed that at 25 years of age, he's the most ready of the four."Ponting also suggested that Australia's decision to experiment with Smith as an opener indicated their willingness to consider younger players. "Another thing that I'd said then was that I don't think they'd go back to a Bancroft or Harris because if they're willing to do that they would've done it the last year," Ponting added.With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy set to commence on November 22, the Australian selectors face a crucial decision in choosing the opening partner for Khawaja. McSweeney's impressive form and leadership qualities have made him the frontrunner for the role, and his selection would signal a new era for Australian cricket.

Punjab Kings, under the guidance of new head coach Ricky Ponting, are embarking on a fresh start for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. With a massive purse of Rs 110.5 crore, the franchise has retained only two uncapped players, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh.Ponting believes this is an opportunity to reshape the team's identity and play a more dynamic and entertaining brand of cricket. He aims to make Punjab Kings the most exciting franchise in the IPL, both on and off the field.The Australian legend expressed surprise at the release of star players like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul by their respective teams. He emphasized the importance of identifying key targets and setting a budget for the auction.Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with a purse of Rs 83 crore, has the second-largest budget after Punjab Kings. The full retention list for all IPL teams is as follows:* Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni* Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel* Gujarat Titans: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan* Kolkata Knight Riders: Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh* Lucknow Super Giants: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni* Mumbai Indians: Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma* Punjab Kings: Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh* Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma* Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal* Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head

Punjab Kings, under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Ricky Ponting, have decided to retain the majority of their support staff for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. The only anticipated addition is fast bowling coach James Hopes, who previously worked with Ponting at Delhi Capitals.Ponting, who signed a four-year contract, aims to transform the team's fortunes. Punjab has yet to win an IPL title, with their only final appearance coming in 2014. They have struggled in recent years, failing to finish in the top five for the past seven seasons and placing ninth out of 10 teams in 2023.Despite the team's struggles, Ponting has retained spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi, batting and fielding coach Brad Haddin, and Trevor Gonsalves, who were all part of Trevor Bayliss' coaching staff. Bayliss and Sanjay Bangar, the former head coach and head of cricket development, respectively, have departed."Brad Haddin and Sunil have been retained. James Hopes is likely to be the fast bowling coach," an IPL source revealed.Ponting has yet to determine the number of players to retain ahead of the mega auction, with the deadline set for October 31. However, lead pacer Arshdeep Singh, who has been with the team for six seasons, is expected to be retained. Uncapped player Shashank Singh, who impressed last season, could also be retained."Ricky and his team will decide on the player retention soon," the source added.Punjab, who were led by Shikhar Dhawan for the past two seasons, will be looking to appoint a new captain, likely through the auction process.

Sam Konstas, the prodigious 19-year-old opener, has etched his name alongside Ricky Ponting in the annals of Sheffield Shield history by becoming the youngest player since the legendary Australian captain to score two centuries in the same match.Konstas's remarkable feat came in New South Wales' clash with South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney. After compiling a brilliant 152 in the first innings, he continued his dominance in the second, amassing 105 runs from 225 deliveries.The hosts declared their innings at 282 for 6 late on day three, setting South Australia a daunting target of 389 runs for victory. However, Nathan Lyon struck early to dismiss Conor McInerney without scoring, leaving the visitors reeling at 7 for 1.Konstas's century was a testament to his exceptional talent and composure. He brought up his half-century with a blistering four that raced past extra cover, and despite South Australia's attempts to slow him down, he reached his century with a towering six over deep midwicket.His innings was not without its challenges. Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey dropped a sitter before Konstas got off the mark, but the teenager made the visitors pay dearly for the error. He also faced a wider line from South Australia's bowlers after tea, but he adjusted his game and continued to accumulate runs.Lyon, meanwhile, continued his impressive form ahead of the Test summer. He finished his first Shield innings with a five-wicket haul, ripping through the South Australian tail to ensure they were dismissed for 260.Konstas's performance has raised expectations for his future in the game. He is now the third youngest player in Shield history to score two centuries in the same match, behind only Ponting and Archie Jackson."Obviously very special," Konstas said of his achievement. "But hopefully we get the job done tomorrow and keep doing our basics well."

Jacques Kallis, the legendary South African all-rounder, has been hailed as the "most talented player" ever by former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. Ponting's admiration stems from Kallis' exceptional all-round abilities and impressive statistics throughout his illustrious career.Kallis, who played from 1995 to 2013, amassed 13,289 runs in 166 Test matches, averaging an impressive 55.37. He scored 45 centuries and 58 fifties, solidifying his place as South Africa's highest Test run-scorer. His highest score of 224 ranks him third globally behind Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar.As a bowler, Kallis claimed 292 wickets at an average of 32.65, with best figures of 6/54. He took five five-wicket hauls in Tests, making him South Africa's seventh-highest wicket-taker.In One-Day Internationals (ODIs), Kallis scored 11,579 runs in 328 matches, averaging 44.36. He hit 17 centuries and 86 fifties, with a top score of 139. He was South Africa's leading run-scorer in ODIs, ranking eighth globally.With the ball, Kallis took 273 wickets in ODIs at an average of 31.79, including five-wicket hauls. He stands as South Africa's second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, behind Shaun Pollock.In 25 T20 Internationals, Kallis scored 666 runs at an average of 35.05 and took 12 wickets.Overall, Kallis scored 25,534 runs in 519 international matches, with 62 centuries and 149 fifties. His 577 wickets across all formats place him among South Africa's top bowlers.Despite his remarkable achievements, Ponting believes that Kallis is "one of the most underrated players ever" in cricket. He noted that Kallis' all-round abilities and impressive statistics should earn him a place among the all-time greats.

Punjab Kings, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, has announced a major shake-up in its coaching staff ahead of the 2024 season. Trevor Bayliss, the head coach, and Sanjay Bangar, the head of cricket development, have both been released from their roles.The move comes as part of a wider restructuring of the Kings' coaching setup, with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting recently appointed as the new head coach. Bayliss had taken over as head coach after the 2022 IPL season, while Bangar joined the franchise in December 2023.Despite the changes, the Kings have yet to taste IPL success, finishing seventh in 2023 and ninth last season. The franchise is hoping that the new coaching team, led by Ponting, can help them break their title drought.Bayliss, a former England coach, has a wealth of experience in T20 cricket, having led the Sydney Sixers to two Big Bash League titles. Bangar, on the other hand, is a former India international who has served as the head coach of the Indian national team and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.The Kings' decision to part ways with Bayliss and Bangar is a sign of their determination to improve their performance in the IPL. With Ponting at the helm, the franchise will be hoping to challenge for the title in 2024.

Ricky Ponting, the legendary Australian cricketer, has been appointed as the head coach of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ponting's appointment marks a significant change for PBKS, who have struggled to find consistency in recent seasons.Ponting's coaching journey in the IPL began with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008. He later joined the Mumbai Indians, where he led the team to their first IPL title in 2013. In 2018, he took over as head coach of the Delhi Capitals, guiding them to three consecutive playoff appearances.Ponting's primary task at PBKS will be to identify players for retention ahead of the upcoming season. The team has not qualified for the playoffs since 2014 and finished ninth in the 2024 IPL season.Ponting acknowledged the pressure of winning a trophy as a coach but welcomed it. He said, "That is the thing that makes coaching inviting to me. I like having that pressure. It is as close to getting back to playing as you can possibly get."Reflecting on his IPL journey, Ponting called coaching MI an "awesome experience" and described the DC changing room as a "special place" despite not winning a trophy. He noted that coaching in the IPL has evolved and is now more specific, with teams covering every aspect by appointing specialized coaches.Key performers for Punjab last season included Harshal Patel, who won the Purple Cap for the second time, and the uncapped Indian players Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. The squad also includes talents like left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, and leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. Notable overseas players in the team are England's Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada.With Shikhar Dhawan's recent retirement, identifying a new captain will also be a priority for Ponting and the team management.

Ricky Ponting, the former Australian skipper, has shed light on his departure from the Delhi Capitals (DC) coaching setup, citing availability issues and the franchise's desire for a full-time head coach. Ponting's exit from DC after seven years paved the way for his appointment as the new head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) starting from IPL 2025.Ponting's IPL journey began as a player with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008, followed by a stint with Mumbai Indians, where he relinquished the captaincy in 2013. He later served as an advisor in 2014 and head coach in 2015 and 2016. In 2018, he took over as head coach of DC, guiding them to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2019 to 2021, including their maiden final in 2020.Reflecting on his time with DC, Ponting emphasized the "family environment" he fostered. However, he acknowledged the franchise's desire for a full-time head coach, which he could not commit to due to other commitments and family time."I understand what they want; they said to me that my availability was becoming an issue. And they wanted to pretty much have a full-time head coach. I could not commit to that, so I was disappointed that it ended, but I understand the direction they wanted to head going forward," Ponting said.Despite the disappointment, Ponting expressed gratitude for the memories and relationships he built during his tenure. He also highlighted the pressure of winning a trophy, which he embraces as a coach."That is the thing that makes coaching inviting to me. I like having that pressure. It is as close to getting back to playing as you can possibly get," he added.Ponting acknowledged the evolution of coaching in the IPL, with teams appointing coaches for specific roles. He believes this has contributed to the improvement of Indian players, who benefit from exposure to top coaches.As for his new role with PBKS, Ponting will prioritize identifying players for retention ahead of the next season. Key performers from last season include Harshal Patel, Shashank Singh, and Ashutosh Sharma. The squad also boasts notable talents like Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Rahul Chahar, and overseas players like Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, and Kagiso Rabada.With the retirement of Shikhar Dhawan, Ponting and the team management will also need to appoint a new captain.