Ricky Ponting health scare: Australia icon returns to commentary
- Published
Ponting played 168 Tests, 365 one-day internationals and 17 Twenty20s in a 17-year career between 1995 and 2012
Australia legend Ricky Ponting has returned to work a day after a health scare while commentating on his country's Test against West Indies.
The former Australia captain, 47, was rushed to hospital on Friday after complaining of chest pains.
"I probably scared a lot of people yesterday and had a little scary moment for myself," said Ponting, the second highest run-scorer in Test history.
"I feel great this morning, I'm all shiny and new."
Ponting, who scored 13,378 runs in a joint-record 168 Tests for Australia and captained his country between 2004 and 2011, said he was encouraged to seek medical attention by his former team-mate Justin Langer, who is also commentating for the Seven Network in Perth.
"I was sitting in the comms box halfway through the stint, and got a couple of really short, sharp pains through my chest," Ponting said.
"I tried to stretch it out and get rid of it and probably didn't give too much away when I was on air.
"I got through the stint, got up, went to walk to the back of the commentary box and got a bit light-headed and dizzy and grabbed the bench.
"But I think the bottom line is the fact I was willing to share it. That's really a good learning curve for me, especially with what's happened over the last 12 or 18 months with really close people around us."
The incident follows the sudden deaths of Australia legends Shane Warne and Rod Marsh earlier this year.
"It's good to see the little fella not being the tough guy, not being the ice man, reaching out to one of his friends," Langer said.
Only South Africa's Graeme Smith can better Ponting's 48 wins as a Test captain while the right-handed batter also led Australia to victory in the 2003 and 2007 50-over World Cups.
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