Having cemented his place in the Test side with some sterling performances in 1999/2000, Ricky Ponting has the critical qualities of quick feet and quick hands, both with the bat and in the field. Batting first wicket down, his role in the one-day game is to build on the rapid starts given by his openers, or consolidate after an early wicket. He does both aggressively.

His deadly accurate throwing from backward point is inspirational and he produces so many run-outs that he could almost be considered a fielding allrounder. He is a key motivator in the circle and also a handy - although rarely used - brisk medium pace bowler.

Ponting made his debut for Tasmania at the age of just 17 - scoring 56 against South Australia - and his first Test appearance when he was only 20 - hitting 96 against Sri Lanka in Perth in 1995/96. Since then, Ponting has shown the ability to play virtually every shot in the book, and that he rarely enjoys being tied down in his appearances at the crease.

Ponting fought off stiff competition from Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne to become the new limited over captain when Steve Waugh retired in 2002. He immediately guided them to lift the world cup in 2003 while scoring a masterful 140 in the final. When Waugh finally hung up his international Test boots in 2004, Ponting was the obvious successor.

Towards the end of his first year in charge the media applied undue pressure on the Tasmanian because of his scoring, or lack of and he finished 2004 without scoring a hundred. However the tide was changing and although he fell two runs short of his maiden test century as captain in Perth against Pakistan, the public knew it was just a matter of time. They didn't have long to wait, his very next Test at the SCG brought about a more confident approach and his 207 against Pakistan saw him join Sir Donald Bradman and Greg Chappell as the only Australians to score four double centuries in Test cricket.