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'Got really sharp pains to my chest when I was on-air': Ponting returns from hospital, narrates health scare
Narrating his health situation that led to sending shockwaves around the cricket world, Ricky Ponting said he got 'a couple of really short and sharp pains' in his chest when he was on air but ‘didn’t want to give too much away'.
Australia's two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting returned to commentary duties a day after he was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart problem. Ponting complained of chest pain during the Lunch session of Day 3 in the Australia vs West Indies 1st Test in Perth and was immediately taken to the hospital. The legendary batter was treated and cleared of any serious concerns. "I probably scared a lot of people yesterday and had a scary moment for myself," Ponting said on Saturday after returning to the ground.
The former Australia No.3 is currently part of the Seven Cricket broadcasting team for the West Indies tour of Australia. Narrating his health situation that led to sending shockwaves around the cricket world, Ponting said he got 'a couple of really short and sharp pains' in his chest when he was on air but ‘didn’t want to give too much away'.
"I was sitting in the comms box halfway through the stint and got a couple of really short and sharp pains to my chest. I tried to stretch it out and get rid of it, and probably didn't want to give too much away when I was on air. I had a couple of those incidents, got through the stint and went to walk to the back of the commentary box and got lightheaded and dizzy and grabbed the bench," he said.
It was his former teammate and friend Justin Langer and a Seven Cricket producer who acted quickly after Ponting narrated his condition.
"I mentioned to JL (Justin Langer) on the way out, who was commentating with me, that I had had these pains in my chest and Chris Jones (Seven's executive producer) heard me and just reacted straight away and got me out of there. Ten or 15 minutes later, I was in the hospital getting the best treatment that I possibly could."
Ponting, Australia's all-time highest run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs and the only Australian captain to win two ODI World Cups and a Champions Trophy, thanked his friends and added that he is back to full fitness.
"I feel great this morning, I am all shiny and new this morning."
"I think the bottom line is, the fact that I was willing to share it with JL and the fact that your mate looks after you, I think as people of our age, we are a little reluctant to share much or talk about our health and I think that is a good learning curve for me yesterday, especially with what has happened in the last 12-18 months to really close people around us.
"My little mate looked after me and got me down there and I'm back, shiny and new this morning."
