28 days to World Cup: Ricky Ponting, the safest pair of hands
They say catches win matches. It might be a cliche but it is true nonetheless. And in Ricky Ponting, Australia not only had the player with the most appearances, wins as captain and second-most runs in the tournament but had also one of the safest pair of hands.
Across the five tournaments that he took part in, Ponting was arguably the most reliable fielder in the Australian side as they steamrolled through the opposition.
With 28 days to go before World Cup 2019, here is a look a Ricky Ponting's incredible World Cup record:
Aside from his incredible tally of runs, another aspect of Ponting's play that helped Australia win three of the five World Cups he took part in was his field.
So it should come as no surprise that Ponting's tally of 28 catches is by far the most by any player in the tournament's history.
That no other fielder has even 20 to their name, with Sanath Jayasuriya in second place with 18, highlights just how clinical Ponting was in the field and also highlights just how good the Australian bowlers were as a large portion of his catches came in the slip cordon.
Aside from the record for most catches in the tournament history, Ponting also holds the record for most catches in a World Cup, courtesy of his 11 catches in 11 games during the 2003 World Cup.
Although he managed to snare just one catch in his inaugural World Cup, Ponting claimed six catches in the 1999 World Cup.
It was in the 1999 edition that Ponting also equalled the world record for most catches in a World Cup encounter. That came against Bangladesh in a group game at Chester-le-Street.
In the 2003 edition, he broke the record for most catches in a single edition, which was eight, then held by Anil Kumble (1996) and Daryll Cullinan (1999).
In the 2007 edition, he finished with seven before adding three more in his final World Cup in 2011.
Among the litany of records than Ricky Ponting holds, this is but another.