For the man who was the most important player in Australian sport, these three words, 'are what factor' into the decision on whether or not his career is over. The Australian cricket team selectors will name the team to play New Zealand in the first series of the summer, and Ricky Ponting is one of the two-Test South Africa tour on the chopping block.
The factors surrounding his possible axing should be viewed through the selectors' decision to end Simon Katich's career before the 2011/12 season begun, citing the fact that they needed to revive and rebirth an ageing team as it headed towards the Ashes in 2013. A harsh decision, considering Katich had both form: before his last 5 matches, he was the world's highest scoring batsman for two and a half years; and feats: he sat on an average of over 50 on his return to international cricket, and had led the way for Australia's batsmen countless times. However, the selectors decided that he wasn't going to be able to continue the feats of his last few years into the future, and his international career was over.
Ponting, like Katich, has feats marked to his name. Australia's most prolific batsman ever, he was hailed as second to Bradman as his average hit 60 and he led his nation in the second half of its most successful era ever. Ponting's team won a world-record 16 Tests in a row and two consecutive World Cups, and was the world's best cricketer in 2006 and 2007.
Form on the other hand, is long gone. Ponting has averaged under 20 in his last five tests, and hasn't scored a century in almost two years, 29 innings ago. So now, it is up to the selectors to decide whether they think he is able to resurrect this form in the future. Otherwise, we will have seen Ricky Ponting's last outing.
Most experts believe Ponting's 62 in the second innings of the second Test in South Africa was his lifeline. While it wasn't a century, and it wasn't a particularly impressive feat considering the stats of his form, it did serve to instil a glimmer of hope that the Ponting of old is hiding under that under-performing player. He has the feats: if we are to believe that this is the beginning of a return to form of Ricky Ponting, then yes, he has a future.
Joshua Mathew is studying his Bachelor of Theology and volunteers in the senior high youth ministry of Hillsong Church.
Joshua's archive of articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/joshua-mathew.html