Dubai: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said India wicket-keeper and batter Rishabh Pant and Aus great Adam Gilchrist are similar but the Indian lad has to put 50-60 matches under his belt before he could be compared to the "all time great wicket-keeper".
Ponting has worked with Pant during his time as coach of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. "They are a little bit the same. I know Rishabh has really burst onto the scene, but let's just let him play his 50-60 Test matches first before we start making comparisons to one of the all-time great wicket-keeper batters," Ponting told ICC.
"But if you think about their personalities, Rishabh is a lot more outward, a lot louder, a lot noisier and ultra-competitive. Gilly was ultra-competitive as well, but a lot quieter and reserved, until he got his bat in his hand and then he became exactly the same as Rishabh," he added.
"Rishabh will be exactly the same. If you look at Rishabh I am not sure how many Test hundreds he got but he has a few 90s in there. And he is actually got out trying to bring up his hundred with a six. That's the good and the bad, right?"
Speaking about Pant's character as a cricketer Ponting said that he is fun-loving and energetic on and off the field. "It is bit hard to put a finger on him as a player or a character. What you see with his cricket is exactly what he is off the field. He is fun-loving and energetic. He is not much of a risk-taking guy off the field; he is always a fun guy to be around. He is always laughing loud and you always know when he is in the room," said Ponting. (UNI)
