Ponting’s best behind him: Mark Taylor

September 29th, 2010 - 4:56 pm ICT by ANI  

Sachin Tendulkar Melbourne, Sep 29 (ANI): Skipper Ricky Ponting’s career is on the downslide and he is not going to repeat his earlier batting form, according to former Australian great Mark Taylor.

He asked Ponting to take inspiration from cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar in order to resurrect his fading batting form.

He said Ponting is aware that he needs to score more consistently than over the past two years if his team wants to win cricket’s three most prized trophies. His average has been around 40, as opposed to a career record comfortably above 50, a decline the Australian team can ill-afford.

Taylor told DNA that Ponting is still world-class but “not getting any better” leading into the Border-Gavaskar series, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The first Test starts at Mohali’s PCA Stadium on Friday with Ponting desperate to arrest a 12-month slide that’s coincided with the resurrection of Tendulkar.

“He [Ponting] is not getting any better. He may no longer be the batsman he was in his late 20s but he is still a very good batsman. Ponting’s best is behind him but he is still capable of scoring big hundreds,” Taylor said.

“I think Sachin has had a rebirth. He’s really batting at his best and that can be a sort of inspiration for Ponting,” he added.

Taylor claimed that captaincy was harming Ponting’s chances of threatening Tendulkar’s Test run tally and world-record 48 centuries as of now. (ANI)

Related Stories

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted in Sports |

Subscribe