When Steve Waugh was unceremoniously dumped as Australia's one-day captain there seemed to be four candidates to replace him. Adam Gilchrist, as the incumbent vice-captain, seemed to have the inside track. Shane Warne was the romantic choice, the great legspinner with the one-day captaincy record to die for. Darren Lehmann was the outsider, the borderline choice - but was he also the Border choice, given AB's tight-lipped remarks just before the Waugh sacking? It made for an interesting few days of rumour and rumination. Now the wondering's over, and the job has gone to Ricky Ponting. It's a brave, bold choice. He's a fine batsman, tinged with greatness. His Headingley hundred in 1997, which cemented his place in the side, was a wondrous innings, and his 144 there last year - which included a century in a session - wasn't far behind. He fields like most people only do in their dreams: his flying one-handed gully grab, with twist and pike, to send back Boeta Dippenaar at Adelaide in December will be in Channel 9's Classic Catches segment until the film wears out.

Ponting is a man for all formats. He has 4800 one-day runs at 41, to go with 3196 in Tests at a shade under 44. But his strike rates are telling: 54.5 runs per 100 balls is a brisk rate for Tests, but it spears upwards to 75.5 in one-dayers. Just what the captain will be ordering in future.

He hasn't had much captaincy experience with Tasmania, mainly because he's been an international fixture since he was barely out of his teens. But you don't field near people like Mark Taylor, Shane Warne and Steve Waugh without picking up a thing or two. And although Ponting's youth helped him scoop the top job - he was 27 in December, the other three are all the wrong side of 30 - he already has 53 Tests and 131 ODIs under his belt.

It's good to see that earlier indiscretions haven't been held against him. There was a lurid black eye after a scuffle outside a nightclub, and he was brave enough to admit to a drink problem. That's all history now, if not quite ancient enough to be totally forgotten.

Apart from having youth on his side, Ponting has an advantage in the field. He doesn't have to bowl, like Warne. He doesn't have to keep wicket, like Gilchrist. And he doesn't have to prove that he's worth his place in the team, like Lehmann. When he's not batting Punter can turn into Plotter, thinking up schemes and strategies for his bowlers and fielders.

It could well turn out to be an inspired decision. But you have to wonder what will happen if Ponting takes time to find his feet. Australians, and especially the Aussie press, aren't used to losing. Even their speed-skaters can turn garbage into gold. Poor old Waugh got the boot for losing four matches out of eight, or maybe for getting on the wrong end of the new bonus-point system.

Punter Ponting likes a bet down at the racetrack. But after coming in first in this four-horse race he'll feel like a lottery winner ... unless Australia keep on finishing second.

Steven Lynch is database director of Wisden.com.

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