Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting recently opened about his bond with Rajasthan Royals coach and India’s legendary Rahul Dravid. Both Ponting and Dravid are the cricketing greats of their respective countries and have played many match-winning knocks. Batting at No.3, both the players have etched their names in the history of cricket with numerous great performances. One of the most famous batting show from the duo was seen during the 2003 Test series between India and Australia, where both the batters hammered a double ton in the second Test.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Ponting revealed that after a Test series, he spoke to and motivated Dravid after a mediocre performance.
“We could all see he was battling, and there was a lot of media talk, and it was all wearing him down. Rahul and I have always got along really well. We were fierce competitors, both No.3 batters for our countries for a long time. For players like that, the class and quality doesn’t leave. It sometimes gets buried under a lot of other stuff, and certain people can’t find their way out of those holes,” Ponting told the paper.
“I just had a chat with him and said, ‘Look, forget about all the external stuff, believe in yourself, and go back to the things that have made you a good player. If you focus on that and not worry about the little things, I am sure you can finish off your career on a strong note’. That’s all I said. He went away and did that and guess what? When I was at the end of my career, I got the same message back from him. He was the first on the phone and made me aware of the things I had to say to him,” he added.
Ponting further stated that he would not share the same advice with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and called them “champion players”.
“You can’t write off quality players. They’re champions for a reason and always find a way to come good. At different times in the last couple of years, Virat has been able to do that when he is getting in a hole. He is a high-quality player and, maybe Rohit is a bit the same. Test cricket is the thing that is becoming harder for them right now. Rohit has made it clear he’s going nowhere in the 50-over game. Virat is the best white-ball player I have ever seen,” said Ponting.
“Whether or not I am going to send them the same message that I sent Rahul Dravid, at the start of an IPL is a different question (smiles). But I love watching those guys play international cricket, and hopefully, they can play for years to come,” he added.
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