Ponting appointed Australian one-day international captain for Travelex Tour

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) today appointed Ricky Ponting as the new captain of the Australian one-day international team for the 2002 Travelex Australian Tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Adam Gilchrist will retain his position as vice-captain.

ACB Chairman, Mr Bob Merriman, said that he and his fellow directors had accepted the advice of the National Selection Panel in making the appointments.

"It is my duty to announce that on the recommendation of the National Selection Panel, the Directors of the Australian Cricket Board have appointed Ricky Ponting as captain of the Australian one-day international team for its tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe, while Adam Gilchrist will remain as deputy," said Mr Merriman.

"Ricky has matured tremendously both as a cricketer and as a person since his arrival in international cricket and the ACB believes that he will be a fine captain of the one-day team."

Speaking from South Africa, Ponting said that he was honoured and privileged to be appointed to the role and paid tribute to his predecessor, Stephen Waugh.

"To captain Australia is an incredible honour and I appreciate the faith shown in me by both the National Selection Panel and the ACB Directors," said Ponting.

"I am fortunate to be inheriting an outstanding team from one of Australia's greatest captains in Steve Waugh, and I hope that in moving forward we will be able to match what the team was able to achieve under his leadership.

"I would like to thank him for what he has done, not only for me, but for the one-day international team as a whole, and I look forward to working with him as Australia's Test captain," he said.

Ponting, who was named Australia's One-Day International Cricketer of the Year at the recent Allan Border Medal presentation, has averaged 41.37 runs in his 131 matches for Australia since making his debut against South Africa in the 1994-95 Centenary Tournament in New Zealand.

In the recent VB Series of one-day internationals against both New Zealand and South Africa, Ponting topped Australia's run-makers list, scoring 254 runs from eight matches at 31.75.

He was also the stand-out batsman in the United Kingdom during June 2001, when Australia took on England and Pakistan in the tri-angular NatWest one-day international series. The Tasmanian scored 298 runs from just five innings, including a brilliant 102 in the nail-bitting win over England in Bristol.

Ponting, who was appointed captain of the Tasmanian Tigers prior to the 2001-02 domestic season becomes the first player from the Apple Isle to lead an Australian side.

Adam Gilchrist, meanwhile, retains his position as vice-captain for the Australian one-day international team.

Upon learning of the decision, the wicket-keeper/batsman said that he remained honoured to hold a leadership role within Australian cricket.

"Naturally after hearing the news that Steve wouldn't be playing a part in the one-day series, I wondered what that would mean for me," Gilchrist said.

"To remain vice-captain of this side is something that I am very proud of. I am pleased for Ricky, who is a close mate, and I look forward to working with him once the series gets under-way.

"I think that together we can make a pretty good team," he added.