Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has named India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Pacer Jasprit Bumrah in his top five players as a part of a World T20I XI. Pandya is on third number while Bumrah is on fifth number.
Pointing reckons Pandya is arguably the best T20 all-rounder in the world while Bumrah is the most complete bowler across the three formats.On current form, it’s pretty hard to go past Hardik Pandya at number three. His IPL was outstanding.
To see him back at the bowling crease is something that I was always a little bit unsure would actually ever happen…he’s had some really big injury setbacks, which has obviously affected how he’s been able to play for India, said Pointing on the ICC Review on Monday.
Ricky Ponting
The 29-year-old India’s all-rounder is back to bowling regularly lending much-needed balance to the Indian team.
But he’s back bowling, and at a 140kph which he was doing four of five years ago. But his batting and his maturity while batting has come on in leaps and bounds.
He understands the game better and he understands his game better than ever before and right now he’s probably the best all-rounder in the world in T20 cricket, and could potentially be in ODI cricket, said Australia’s great and World Cup winning captain.
Australia’s captain
On India’s pace spearhead, Pointing also expressed his view:
He is probably the most complete bowler across Test Cricket, One Day cricket and T20 cricket in the world right now. Very good with the new ball when anyone decides to use him that way
Ricky Ponting
India might think of giving him an over with the new ball in Australia (at the T20 World Cup) where it might swing but what you can guarantee is a couple of great high death overs, which every team is looking for- someone that can execute slow balls and boucers.
Bumrah, the right-arm fast seamer is not taking part in the ongoing Asia Cup due to injury. But he is expected to recover before the T20 World Cup that is scheduled to take place in Australia next month.
The 28-year-old pace spearhead is placed in the fourth position in the ICC’s men’s ODI, and he is slipped on 37 positions in the T20 ranking as he is taking a rest from cricket since last India’s tour to England in July of this year.The other three players in pointing’s top five featured Rashid Khan (first position, Afghanistan), Babar Azam (second position, Pakistan), and Jos Buttler (fourth position-England).
Ricky Ponting has made a legendary record in white-ball cricket. He was the skipper of Australia for nine years. He won World Cup in 2003 and 2007. He had led Australia in the first-ever men’s T20 in 2005 and scored a superb 98* (55) in a match.
Now he is spending a lot of his time in coaching dugouts and commentary boxes.
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