Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has revealed the fastest spell he has ever faced in his glittering career. Earlier, Ponting tagged Andrew Flintoff’s spell in the Edgbaston Test of the Ashes Series in 2005 as the best spell he ever faced.
Chasing 282, Australia started brilliantly and were well on course to win the historic Test match, before Freddie Flintoff was introduced in the spell.
On a hat-trick from the first innings, picking the wickets of Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz, Flintoff quickly removed Justin Langer in the very first over of his spell in the second innings.
Flintoff cleaned Langer up with a full delivery which crashed off-stump, bringing Punter at the crease. Ponting looked unconscious against the sea, facing Flintoff’s vicious incoming deliveries.
The English all-rounder setup Ponting brilliantly with an outswinger on the final delivery of his first over, from which he managed to get a nick off.
However, while opening up about the fastest spell ever faced, he recalled Shoaib Akhtar’ ferocious spell from one of the Test matches at Perth during Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 1999.
“Got plenty of questions the other day after calling the Flintoff over the best I’d faced. This from @shoaib100mph was the fastest spell I’d ever faced and trust me Justin wasn’t backing up too far at the other end.”
Also, Ponting attached a video of Akhtar’s lightning-quick spell Downunder, a couple of decades back.
Got plenty of questions the other day after calling the Flintoff over the best I'd faced.
This from @shoaib100mph was the fastest spell I'd ever faced and trust me Justin wasn't backing up too far at the other end. pic.twitter.com/JhhuEwXrAc
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) April 15, 2020
The Rawalpindi Express notched up speeds above 150 kmph constantly in the bouncy pitch of Perth, making wicketkeeper Moin Khan collect the deliveries way above his height.
Earlier in the series, Akhtar bowled a beamer to Justin Langer, which measured up to 155 kmph, ultimately breaking the left-handed opener’s wrist.
