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Warmth beneath the hard nose
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The affable Ricky Ponting quite liked the fact that fans here knew a fair bit about Australian cricket
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Ricky Ponting playing the chef. -- Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
CANDOUR AND confidence: those were the words that sprung to mind when Ricky Ponting displayed warmth and patience in dealing with fans in an interactive session organised by Seagrams Royal Stag at the Taj West End here on Tuesday evening. The Aussie, however, did offer a glimpse of his hard-nosed approach when he smiled indulgently for a second before slipping in some steel in his voice and said: "No." It was an emphatic answer to a fan's query: "Will Australia let India win the next World Cup?" The question was also a tribute to Australia's numero-uno status in cricket.
Ponting had the fans rooting for him when he flashed the thumbs-up sign for Bangalore. "It is a nice city, has a lot of greenery, perhaps its greener than other cities. Yes, Mumbai is also good, has quite a few nice restaurants where you can relax and have a drink. Actually, all cities have their own flavour, but if you are stuck in a five-star hotel room, then the world is the same. You need to get out of the room and check out the city spots," he said.
The man who pulls with aplomb was flummoxed by a slower delivery as a cricket buff asked: "From the time of Lillee, Aussie fast bowlers have avoided India, is it a coincidence?" Ponting was lost for words, asked the fan to repeat the question, and then said: "It is just a coincidence. Glen McGrath, Gillespie, and Lee are all injured. To be honest, I wish they are here, especially, since we are now in the final." And an amused wag in the audience Quipped: "These fans probe harder than journos!"
Steve Waugh's legacy, besides winning everything under the sun, is also marked by his genuine love for India. And Ricky Ponting is no exception. "India is a great place. And Indians all over the world have warmth that is unmatched. Trust me, when the Indian team tours Down Under soon, there will be hundreds of invites for them from Indian families settled in Australia to come home for dinner. I guess more than any country, India loves its cricket and the players. It is overwhelming," Ponting said.
The Cricketer with the winner of the Royal Stag Mega Cricket Contest -- Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Dry humour echoed while Ponting dwelt upon a joint Indo-Australian team. "Hmmm, well, may be Sachin can bat at number six or seven for us," and soon the answer was lost in laughter before the Aussie skipper made it obvious that the Mumbai maestro will be his first choice in the team.
Ponting was moved when fans answered a trivia quiz on him and said: "I think you guys know more about me than myself!"
A few answers helped fans get the bumper prize of an autographed bat. It was an evening when fans walked away with memories and mementoes, while Ponting rushed to a team meeting to deliver a discourse on "defeating India". An Aussie never changes...
K.C. VIJAYA KUMAR
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