On Pant being named in India's squad for the T20 World Cup, Ponting said his inclusion was obvious after his "remarkable comeback". The veteran feels Pant will make a significant impact in the T20 showpiece.
“When I was there I was asked what I thought about it. He was selected in the Indian team, and I basically said 'he will be one of the first players selected', and of course he was. So, it's great to see him playing there again.I have enjoyed every moment of working with him. Ponting said in the ICC review, obviously, he has been the captain of Delhi Capitals and I have been the coach there.
“But it has been a remarkable comeback and hopefully he will have a big impact at this World Cup,” he said.
Pant, who missed the last edition of the tournament due to injuries, scored 44 runs.
, He also scored three half-centuries and played with an impressive strike rate of 155.40.
Talking about Pant's comeback, Ponting said it was a 'fantastic' performance from the 26-year-old and credited the franchise for doing a great job.“Honestly, it's nothing short of spectacular. I spent a few months with him in the middle of the IPL last year, which was only three or four months after his accident. And I then had serious fears that he would never play this game again. What he went through psychologically, but also what he went through physically. At that stage, he was still not able to walk,” he said.“He was on crutches. And I remember saying to him, 'What do you think about the next season?' He just looked at me and said, 'Don't worry, I'll be fine.' And he took incredibly well care of himself. The Delhi Capitals franchise has done a great job in taking care of him. Patrick Farhart has been his physio.He has done a great job with that too,” said the three-time ODI World Cup winner.
Apart from batting, Pant also performed brilliantly with his glove work behind the stumps and put to rest any lingering doubts over his agility after a long injury layoff.
Ponting said that everyone had doubts about his keeping in the tournament for one consecutive match but Pant proved them wrong.
“Nobody had real concerns about his batting because of how good he is and how dynamic he is with the bat,” Ponting said.
“But there were definitely some concerns with his wicket-keeping and squatting on every ball for 14 consecutive matches.,
Pant was among the players who arrived in New York on Monday ahead of the T20 World Cup opening match against Ireland on June 5 (India time). India also have to face Bangladesh in the only warm-up match on June 1.
“When I was there I was asked what I thought about it. He was selected in the Indian team, and I basically said 'he will be one of the first players selected', and of course he was. So, it's great to see him playing there again.I have enjoyed every moment of working with him. Ponting said in the ICC review, obviously, he has been the captain of Delhi Capitals and I have been the coach there.
“But it has been a remarkable comeback and hopefully he will have a big impact at this World Cup,” he said.
Pant, who missed the last edition of the tournament due to injuries, scored 44 runs.
, He also scored three half-centuries and played with an impressive strike rate of 155.40.
Talking about Pant's comeback, Ponting said it was a 'fantastic' performance from the 26-year-old and credited the franchise for doing a great job.“Honestly, it's nothing short of spectacular. I spent a few months with him in the middle of the IPL last year, which was only three or four months after his accident. And I then had serious fears that he would never play this game again. What he went through psychologically, but also what he went through physically. At that stage, he was still not able to walk,” he said.“He was on crutches. And I remember saying to him, 'What do you think about the next season?' He just looked at me and said, 'Don't worry, I'll be fine.' And he took incredibly well care of himself. The Delhi Capitals franchise has done a great job in taking care of him. Patrick Farhart has been his physio.He has done a great job with that too,” said the three-time ODI World Cup winner.
Apart from batting, Pant also performed brilliantly with his glove work behind the stumps and put to rest any lingering doubts over his agility after a long injury layoff.
Ponting said that everyone had doubts about his keeping in the tournament for one consecutive match but Pant proved them wrong.
“Nobody had real concerns about his batting because of how good he is and how dynamic he is with the bat,” Ponting said.
“But there were definitely some concerns with his wicket-keeping and squatting on every ball for 14 consecutive matches.,
Pant was among the players who arrived in New York on Monday ahead of the T20 World Cup opening match against Ireland on June 5 (India time). India also have to face Bangladesh in the only warm-up match on June 1.
