Ricky Ponting, the esteemed former Australian captain, has shared his insights on India‘s prolonged struggle to secure ICC trophies despite their abundance of talented cricketers and global superstars.
India’s issues with winning ICC trophies
Despite possessing a deep reservoir of talent and the strong backing of the world’s wealthiest cricket board, India has faced difficulty in clinching ICC trophies at the senior men’s level over the past decade.
Their last ICC triumph dates back to the Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, while India have consistently performed well in the group stages and league rounds of ICC events, they have faltered in crucial moments, experiencing multiple losses in finals and semi-finals across all three formats of the game since 2014.
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Ricky Ponting’s perspective on India’s trophy drought
Ponting, currently commentating in New York for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, highlighted India’s struggle in managing pressure during crucial stages of ICC tournaments.
In a conversation with PTI, Ponting emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear mindset and focus amidst external pressures, particularly as teams progress to the business end of competitions. He underscored the significance of coping with pressure and navigating through challenging situations, citing it as a decisive factor in determining victory or defeat in T20 cricket.
“You’ve got to try and keep a clear mind where you can focus on the task at hand rather than thinking too far ahead or worrying about any sort of external pressures,” Ponting said.
“There’s no doubting the talent (in India squad), but we also shouldn’t forget that the World Cups are not easy to win. There are all the best players in the world together at one time in different contrasting conditions. So look there’s definitely a mindset thing to it. How you deal with pressure, how you cope with pressure, how you think your way through certain situations is the difference between winning and losing a T20 game,” the 49-year-old added.
Peaking and performance
Drawing from his experience as a two-time World Cup-winning captain, Ponting emphasized the necessity for teams to peak at the right time, particularly during knockout stages of major tournaments. He stressed the pivotal role played by top-performing players in shaping a team’s success, highlighting the Australian teams’ ability to excel during critical phases of competitions.
“One thing you know about World Cups, you have to have your best players playing well at the right time. Australian teams are playing their best cricket right at the back half of the tournament and peaking again at the right time in a major event,” Ponting concluded.