Ricky Ponting possesses the natural grit, mental toughness and winning mentality missing from the Proteas’ current arsenal, which would make him perfect as head coach, writes Mogammad Allie.

When one thinks of the past 20 years of Australian cricket you remember a dynasty. Teams were built littered with greats and geniuses who garnered the cricketing world to sit up and take note. Paving the modern way of aggressive cricket they were both the unstoppable force and the immovable object.

Winning cricket matches became less of a belief and more of an expectation. And winning was everything. And beyond the many soldiers who went to war for the men from Down Under, none epitomised the fighting spirit quite like Ponting.

South African cricket has long endured heartache on the biggest stage. The Proteas have been perennial underachievers in limited-over cricket and have been left with a most unwanted tag. Those often talked about “big moments” seem to always go the opposition’s way.

The absolute worst part about it is that it’s not through lack of effort, ironically it’s sometimes the opposite, but just sheer misfortune. It’s in these situations that Australian teams always seem to thrive. They just know how. It’s part of their DNA. And the man who was at the helm of this winning mystique was Ponting.

It is for this reason why I think he should be the next Proteas coach.

Wishful, I know, but befitting and here’s why. Ponting is arguably the most successful captain in history with a winning ratio of just under 68% in his 324 matches; He led Australia to World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007 as skipper after winning it as a player in 1999; he also won the Champions Trophy twice as captain.

As a batsman, Ponting was truly incredible. A work-ethic and hunger for the game that showed in his batting. His appetite saw him become Australia’s leading run-scorer in both Test and ODI cricket.

Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith once described him as “the most competitive cricketer he’s ever played against”.

After retiring in 2012 he worked as a pundit and a coach. In 2015 he was appointed as head coach of the Mumbai Indians taking over from John Wright. The previous year Mumbai finished fourth and got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs and Ponting followed this by leading the team to IPL glory during his first year in charge.

His knack of getting teams to win came through once again. Doing what is necessary to win. Nothing is more important.

Ponting served as the batting coach of Australia at the 2019 World Cup until their exit in semi-finals at the hands of England, he has ensured that any sagas haven’t affected the resolute manner in which the Australians batted.

The Proteas need a cultural overhaul. They need players who when they’re up against it and the pressure is on they don’t shy away, but rather they thrive; players who enjoy having the hopes of a nation steeped over their shoulders.

Team culture and dynamic is equally important. When taking over as the head coach of India Gary Kirsten placed an onus on each player. Don’t look to the guy next to you to do the job, you go out and do it.

In this way, the team won’t dismantle when the big players fall short because everyone in the team feels culpable. Too often the blame falls on the big names. It’s not unfair that they’re criticized, they are expected to perform when the team needs them, but what’s unfair is that the criticism doesn’t fall on the team as a whole.

Teams are to blame, not individuals. Gone are the days where we as a society pick a scapegoat and then once they’re discarded believe all will be solved.

South African cricket needs this shift. We must eradicate team cliques, avoid finding scapegoats and extinguish battles of power.

We must just play old-fashioned tough cricket to get over the line.

We need to be driven by an intrinsic belief and confidence that we as a team will come out on top. Ponting embodies all of these qualities, which will go a long way to leading the Proteas to their maiden cricket World Cup win.