How good is Ponting's pull shot?

[bunny]

The guy has got out to a bouncer/shortish delivery 11 times in the last 3 years of which 9 times playing a pull shot, and twice fending.

The pull shot fetches him runs, but it better fetch him at least 600 of the 2500 runs he has scored in the last 3 years, otherwise it isnt working that well for him.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

It encompasses the whole intrinsic nature of human frailty.

 

[pasag]

94 on Metacritic.

 

[bagapath]

I think he is a fantastic puller. he should continue to play it until his feet slow him down. he will get out to it sometimes. but other shots can get him out too. ricky's pull must be a very feared shot among bowlers. it cant be a "i have a chance here" moment for them.

 

[OnDrive]

Pointing seems to pull short balls outside off more effectively. That is probably his best shot.
As for short ones on off-middle, he seems to struggle at times, and that is possibly one of the chinks in his armour.

 

[bunny]

it cant be a "i have a chance here" moment for them.

How do you explain the 11 dismissals then?

 

[Avada Kedavra]

How do you explain the 11 dismissals then?

He is not getting any younger, slower reactions.

 

[bunny]

He is not getting any younger, slower reactions.

Yeah that might be the case. Ok let me rephrase the question. How good has been Ponting's pull shot in the last 3 years?

 

[Avada Kedavra]

Yeah that might be the case. Ok let me rephrase the question. How good has been Ponting's pull shot in the last 3 years?

Not as good as it used to be.

 

[bunny]

Here are some more stats:

i) he scored 20 out 196 (against Eng'06) using pull shots
ii) he scored 21 out of 156 (against WI'08) using pull shots. (Got out to pull).
iii) 18 out of 150 (against Eng'09) using pull. (Had one mistimed one which went for 6).
iv) 14 out of 120 (against SA09) using pull (One just sailed over fine-leg for a 4).

Overall it seems to be bringing him 1 out of every 8 runs, which would probably mean probably between 300 - 400 out of 2500 runs, which for me is not good enough.

 

[bagapath]

How do you explain the 11 dismissals then?

sachin gets out to paddle sweep. richards used to get caught hooking. sehwag punches into the hands of the backward point sometimes. gilchrist and sanath's cuts would end at deep third man often. but if they stop playing these shots they will become percentage cricketers. and cricket would be poorer as a result. it would be like stopping waqar from bowling inswinging yorkers or telling warne to store the googly away because they give some free runs with that.

 

[Uppercut]

Got to give bunny credit for challenging conventional wisdom with facts here.

I don't know if Ponting should put away the pull shot, but it does seem to be giving him a bit more trouble than it used to.

 

[bunny]

sachin gets out to paddle sweep. richards used to get caught hooking. sehwag punches into the hands of the backward point sometimes. gilchrist and sanath's cuts would end at deep third man often. but if they stop playing these shots they will become percentage cricketers. and cricket would be poorer as a result. it would be like stopping waqar from bowling inswinging yorkers or telling warne to store the googly away because they give some free runs with that.

I like Ponting's pull shots myself. I was questioning why a bowler wouldnt feel he is in with a chance (as Ricky has got out pulling numerous times in the last few years).
This is all with a caveat that Ponting has probably passed his peak, as AK pointed out. He might have been a great puller, but I find it hard to classify him as a great puller anymore.

 

[Avada Kedavra]

I like Ponting's pull shots myself. I was questioning why a bowler wouldnt feel he is in with a chance (as Ricky has got out pulling numerous times in the last few years).
This is all with a caveat that Ponting has probably passed his peak, as AK pointed out. He might have been a great puller, but I find it hard to classify him as a great puller anymore.

He isn't as good as he used to be, Bunny. But he's still pretty good. I saw him play some gorgeous ones against England in ODIs recently.

 

[bagapath]

I like Ponting's pull shots myself. I was questioning why a bowler wouldnt feel he is in with a chance (as Ricky has got out pulling numerous times in the last few years).
This is all with a caveat that Ponting has probably passed his peak, as AK pointed out. He might have been a great puller, but I find it hard to classify him as a great puller anymore.

since it is his bread butter and jam shot i think it will come back. kapil lost his out swinger for a while. but rediscovered it to great effect down under in 91-92. ricky will also start pulling well once again. and honestly, i am not answering the question posed in the thread straight. the question is how good is his pull shot. and that i dont know. havent seen him bat long enough recently to assess that. the last i saw him bat was when australia toured india. and we know he doesnt bat for too long here to form any impression

 

[Avada Kedavra]

since it is his bread butter and jam shot i think it will come back. kapil lost his out swinger for a while. but rediscovered it to a great effect down under in 91-92. ricky will also start pulling well once again. and honestly, i am not answering the question posed in the thread straight. the question is how good is his pull shot. and that i dont know. havent seen him bat long enough recently to assess that. the last i saw him bat was when australia toured india. and we know he doesnt bat too long here to form any impression

 

[bunny]

He isn't as good as he used to be, Bunny. But he's still pretty good. I saw him play some gorgeous ones against England in ODIs recently.

The aesthetics of his pull shot are definitely awesome. And I guess, the shot will serve him well in ODIs where risk-taking is the name of the game.
But he definitely needs to pay more attention to it in tests.

 

[Migara]

best in the current era

 

[Richard]

Like most of Ponting's shots, his pull isn't quite as good as it used to be.

In his 1995/96-2006/07 heyday, it was as good as a pull shot has pretty much ever been for almost any batsman.

 

[Burgey]

The aesthetics of his pull shot are definitely awesome. And I guess, the shot will serve him well in ODIs where risk-taking is the name of the game.
But he definitely needs to pay more attention to it in tests.

Pretty much agree with those saying it's not what it used to be, but it's still producitve for him.

It's a favourite shot of his, but it's also a risky shot in general, subject to the vagaries of bounce, lateral movement etc (then again,so are a lot of others I suppose).