Ponting joins the diarists - in style

Steve Waugh may have made an art form over the last decade or so of publishing his diary of the year's events, but his absence from the all-conquering Australian one-day team at this year's World Cup opened up a chance for a rival, and Ricky Ponting has stepped into the breach - marvellously so.

His record of his team's triumph, Ricky Ponting's World Cup Diary has probably outdone even his former leader's work. One suspects this has something to do with the assistance he had in the project from Brian Murgatroyd, the former Cricket Australia media manager who has now returned to his old job as a journalist.

Whatever the reason, the result is a fascinating account which is well capable of standing the test of time as a record of a most impressive campaign. There is a frankness about the preparation of the Australian side for key games, and for dealing with key individuals, that is not only revealing but also backs up Arthur Mailey's famous claim - when rebuked for sharing legspinning information with an opponent - that knowledge in cricket is international.

And anyway, such is the Australian advance in information and development, that they will have moved on another stage or two in their assessment of opponents already. There is also the fact that there are only a few ways in which to skin a cat, especially in a game like one-day cricket.

The basis of the Australian game is simple enough. "In terms of batting, our key points are partnerships, getting ball into gaps and batting 50 overs. We are looking at one scoring shot every two balls, rotating the strike and averaging at least one hundred partnership per game.

"For bowlers the game plan is dot-balls and bowling in partnerships to build pressure; the key aims are to concede fewer than 80 runs in the first 15 overs and fewer than 60 in the final 10," writes Ponting. "Fielding involves three words - catch, contain and control. We are after at least a 90% success rate for regulation catches, stumpings and run-outs, a 70% success rate in difficult catches and stumpings, a minimum of one in three throws hitting the stumps, and at least 15 runs saved per match."

Nothing much in that lot that would trip up Einstein. But it comes in even greater depth as the diary develops, and in the build-up to particular games. What also emerges, however, is the Ponting leadership style, which is still fresh enough to have a sense of wonderment about all that is happening, but hard enough to appreciate that the job still has to be done in the great Australian tradition.

He is open about seeking advice from others, and in his dealings with players and situations, as has already been witnessed by the pronouncements he had to make on Shane Warne's drug ban. "I guess with someone like Warney you get a bit of everything. You know he can be a larrikin, but what he offers in terms of ability and experience far outweighs any downside of him being around," says Ponting. "For such a nice, genuine bloke he does have this habit of attracting trouble, and this has to be the mother of all problems now - not just for him, but for us as well."

Still the team got over it, although it has to be wondered how much damage such a situation might have done to other sides in a similar position at the tournament. But Warne wasn't the only concern in the lead-up to the Australian defence of the trophy: there was the small matter of playing in Zimbabwe. Ponting outlines that this was a problem for some members of the side, and he details the way in which the issue was dealt with by Cricket Australia on the players' behalf.

As the tournament develops, and players become injured and others take their place, there are problems of selection to be dealt with, and again there is a frankness in all that Ponting describes as part of the process. The end product is a well-rounded picture of the campaign through the captain's eyes.

Ponting is clearly the new face of the Australian game. But there is nothing to suggest the tradition he will inherit when adding the Test captaincy to his one-day role will be any less well served than it has been throughout its history. This is a fine read of its type. and one that in time will provide an insight into why this Australian era was so strong.