SYDNEY: In a rather bizarre incident, former Australian batsman Ricky Ponting ruptured his Achilles while shooting for a commercial in Australia. The former skipper was hurt while kicking a football during an ad shoot. He was set for a long term role with Cricket Australia and was having discussions about being part of the team management with Justin Langer for the UAE tour but the freakish injury will mean he will have restricted mobility for the next three to six months, according to media reports. This will be a big blow for Langer, who wanted Ponting to have a bigger say in the Australian setup. He was a part of the T20 setup and also went with the ODI team to England, where the team suffered a humiliating 5-0 whitewash. “Ricky’s knowledge of the game is second-to-none, and we know that his experiences, tactical expertise and leadership will be invaluable for this group,” Langer had said ahead of Ponting’s involvement in England. Langer has been given the task of rebuilding the Australian team after the Cape Town fiasco, where captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner along with opener Cameron Bancroft were banned for involvement in ball-tampering. Ponting will now be seen as a part of Channel Seven’s commentary team for the Australian summer, starting with India’s tour in November. Published in Daily Times, September 9th 2018.