Ricky Ponting is not a bad runner between the wickets, Buchanan

By BIPIN DANI

Pune, (India): Australian captain Ricky Ponting is not a bad runner, according to his former coach John Buchanan. Ponting was run out (Law 38) for a world-record 13th time during the first day of the second Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, thus surpassing the "unwanted record" of his country men-Allan Border and Mathew Hayden.

Ponting's 13th run out in 144 Tests beat the earlier record of 12, held jointly by fellow Australians Allan Border and Matthew Hayden.

"Ponting has maintained the approach throughout his long and successful career (as were the other gentlemen mentioned) – one of the basic technical reasons why Ricky Ponting will be regarded as one of the all time great batsmen", Ponting's one-time national coach John Buchanan said exclusively.

"These batsmen (Ponting, Border and Hayden) are or were were aggressive runners between wickets; ie they look at strike rotation as a very important method of –
(a)Getting their innings underway, and /. or maintaining the momentum of their innings, and
(b)Taking control of the game by not allowing a bowler, nor an opposition captain to dictate terms to them

"With such an approach, it generally requires the fielding side to be always alert, have your best fieldsmen close to the bat, and the bowler to be aware he may be required to field a ball to prevent a single or retreat to the stumps to receive a throw", Buchanan said. "In all cases the batsmen are controlling the fielding side’s thinking – that is what all very successful players no matter who they are, do".

"As a consequence, there will sometimes be an error of judgement, sometimes a special piece of fielding which will catch the batsman short", he signed off.