There are two qualities which make Ponting a very dangerous batsman to contain -- a hatred of slow scoring and the ability to play virtually every shot in the book.
He had been touted as a future captain when he made his debut. But somewhere things started to go wrong. Some officials said Ponting, who had been disciplined earlier for an altercation with a woman in a bar in India, was simply the wrong stuff.
But he has obviously reinvented himself since. Slowly, but surely, he gained the respect of the public. Now, as he prepares to take over Australia's Test captaincy, the redemption is complete.