Star’s confession proves Ponting is a genius

Gun all-rounder Cameron Green has revealed he changed his batting technique midway through the Ashes after hearing advice from the former Australian captain.

Green had a breakout series with the ball in particular, taking 13 wickets at an average of 15.76. But his batting performances were underwhelming in the first two Tests, prompting Ponting to give him a few suggestions.

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After Green was dismissed for two in the first innings in Adelaide, Ponting offered his opinion on how he could improve his batting stance.

“The fix for mine is to make his stance a lot more neutral, so don’t start so open,” he said during a commentary stint with Channel 7.

“Start on middle stump and start with a square sequence. Then, by the time he makes that back and across movement, his front foot won’t have to go as far to cover his off stump.”

Professional athletes don’t often listen to commentators, let alone take their advice on board, but Green said Ponting’s tips were passed on to him.

“There was a bit of a change, trying to get my foot around in my pre-ball movement,” Green told cricket.com.au.

“Ricky mentioned it in the media. There’s not many guys you would (rather) listen to. He’s a guy I looked up to.

“He relayed that to the coaches and people I trust, and felt like we all on a pretty similar page. So (the change) came about from Ricky’s comments.”

And they clearly worked a treat. After Ponting gave his suggestions Green scored 33 not out, 17, five, 74, 74 and 23 in the remainder of his Ashes innings.

Pundits said the ability for Ponting’s advice to have such an immediate impact on Green’s batting Green’s change in fortune with the bat showed Ponting is a genius.

Sports broadcaster Andy Maher tweeted: “When it comes to TV analysts doing their thing live, Ricky Ponting is as good as any I’ve heard in any sport anywhere.

“Rarely do you hear of one having this sort of impact.”

Green had a solid series with the bat, scoring 228 runs at an average of 32.57, but the all-rounder’s overall output was seriously impressive.

During the five Ashes contests, Green had a higher batting average than Steve Smith and a lower bowling average than Pat Cummins.

Mark Wood was the only England bowler to claim more wickets than Green — Root was the only England batter with more 50+ scores.

No Australian cricketer has ever scored more runs and simultaneously taken more wickets at a lower average in a Test series.

But arguably the most impressive detail in Green’s Ashes campaign were the players he dismissed — of the 13 Test wickets he claimed this summer, 10 were top-order batters.

He tore through England’s top order in the second innings in Hobart to set up the victory, claiming the wickets of Rory Burns, Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan.

With Nic Savage

Originally published as Cameron Green’s Ashes confession reveals Ricky Ponting’s genius ‘fix’