Early life of Ricky Ponting Shield cricket this year and all of a sudden there's talk in the papers that I'm a chance go on an Australian tour of England. I think it's way out of reach — there are blokes like [South Australian] Jamie Siddons who have scored 20 or 30 first-class centuries who are ahead of me. Nevertheless, Shipperd thought Ponting could handle the experience: "A lot of attention affects different people in different ways, but Ricky is such a well-rounded young fella that it hasn't changed him. I've told him to enjoy the all the attention and if he just keeps on
Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team in India in 2008–09 allowed to happen again." The barrage of Ponting's decision continued, with then Australian leading Test run-scorer (since overtaken by Ponting) saying on Fox Sports, "I don't know what to make of this. They go into the tea break on a high and come out worrying about over-rates. I am glad Ricky can't read my mind right now because he is not going to like it." Ponting later admitted that Border's comment was the one that hurt him the most, despite News Limited reporter Jon Pierik describing his captaincy as a "joke", while Malcolm Conn from "The Australian" wrote it was