Every great player goes through such phase: Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli’s slump form: Of late Virat Kohli’s slump form has become a major talking point for several experts and people following the game of cricket closely. A number of pundits have pushed their opinions on Virat’s declining performance and former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has been the latest one to join the bandwagon.
Ponting during the latest episode of The ICC review said that he hasn’t seen a great player who hasn’t faced a period of poor form in his life. Whether it’s a bowler or a batter, everyone goes through that pale patch reckon Ponting.
“Every great player that I have seen in this game has been through it at some stage, whether that’s a batsman or a bowler, they have all been through it,” said Ricky Ponting.
The Aussie great, however, stressed the fact that every great player finds his way to rebound in the game.
“And somehow, the best (players) find a way to rebound and respond, and it’s only a matter of time before Virat does that”, former Australian skipper added.
“I think if I was an opposition captain or an opposition player, I will fear playing an Indian team that has Virat Kohli in it, more than I would be one that doesn’t have him in it. I know there have been some challenges for him, it’s been a difficult time,” said Ponting.
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The 47 years old further opined not to shuffle Virat’s batting position as it will put him in a sense of discomfort.
“That (moving him up the order) quite often comes at the expense of someone else as well, you are moving someone else around trying to find a spot for Virat. He has opened the batting, he has batted at No.3 in the IPL in the last couple of years and done the same for India. Moving him around will make him feel that people are worried about him, and he will be more unsettled,” Ponting said.
Team India and the management should keep pushing Virat and help him get back to his original form. If Virat comes back near to his best, it will be a huge boost to India’s aspiration to lift the T20 World Cup.
“If I was India, I will keep pushing with him, because I know the upside. If they actually get him back confident and playing as well as he can, that upside is better than most. So I think if I was a captain or a coach around the Indian set up, I will be making life as easy as possible for him to feel as comfortable as possible, and just wait for him to flick the switch and start scoring runs again,” Ponting concluded.
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