Cricket
Ponting joins Biff at Surrey
2013-02-21 11:53
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – English county side Surrey will occasionally
field a galaxy of international stars in the 2013 summer, following news on
Thursday that Ricky Ponting will represent the
Graeme Smith-led side.
The record-breaking Proteas Test captain and opening batsman
signed at The Oval as high-profile skipper several months ago, although he will
continue to represent South Africa.
But Surrey also confirmed on their website that former
Australia captain and stroke-playing legend Ponting, 38, will join the club for
the months of June and July.
He will initially cover for Smith, who is likely to be part
of the Proteas team taking part in the English-staged closing edition of the
ICC Champions Trophy one-day international competition.
But the richly experienced pair will also team up for parts
of Surrey’s Twenty20 domestic campaign, when Kevin Pietersen, the controversial
SA-born England batting star, might also make fleeting appearances when
available.
Pietersen and Smith have not always seen eye to eye in the
past, but will suddenly potentially become team-mates at domestic level.
The Daily Mail on Thursday suggested that the trio, if in
alliance for the county at any stage in the season, would amount to the
“greatest line-up since Somerset’s golden era of Beefy (Ian Botham), the Master
Blaster (Viv Richards) and Big Joel (Garner)”.
It also said that Ponting had been “sold the idea” of a
county swansong by Smith.
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