Australian Captain - Ricky Ponting

Australian Captain Ricky Ponting is quite simply an Ashes legend and one of the very best batsmen the world has ever seen and certainly one of the best in Ashes history. For many years he was overshadowed by players like Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, but after taking over the Captaincy of the Aussies in 2004 he proved conclusively that he was the equal at least to them both.

Ponting has a test average of an incredible 57.58 over a test match career spanning 13 years and 123 test matches. Even more incredibly his average since taking over the Captaincy of the One day team in 2002 in South Africa, his test average has been 75, which is the best average since Sir Donald Bradman. He has made 36 test match centuries, only four behind Tendulkar, he has also made 41 test match fifties and is the sixth highest run maker of all time. To date he has made 10,365 runs.

As test match captain, Ponting has won 33 of 44 tests, a better ratio of success than any other previous captain including Steve Waugh. He is only 8 wins behind Waugh in becoming the world record holder for test match victories.

Ponting is not get any younger, he is now 34, but he keeps himself very fit and will be in charge of the Aussies for at least another two years, in which time he will undoubtedly break most batting records in the books.

Ponting will be the is favourite in Australian top batsman betting of the 2010/11 Ashes series, you can back him to do so and get an Ashes Free bet.