Ricky Ponting brands Scott Boland the luckiest cricketer to EVER play for Australia

Ricky Ponting has astonishingly dismissed Scott Boland’s Test record, claiming that the veteran is the luckiest cricket to ever play for Australia.

Boland has made a sensational start to his Test cricket career, taking 28 wickets in only six wickets at an average of 12.21.

However, his incredible figures were not enough to convince the selectors to pick him for the third Test against South Africa at the SCG.

Boland has found it difficult to nail down his place in the team, with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood vying for positions in the XI. Starc’s finger injury from the second Test appeared to be a positive sign for Boland, but the selectors opted for a second spinner in Ashton Agar.

And former Australia captain Ponting has backed Boland’s omission, making an outlandish claim about the 33-year-old. 

‘He’s actually the luckiest cricketer ever to represent Australia,’ Ponting said. ‘Some of the wickets he’s played on, you’d be still getting wickets nowadays.’

Ponting did, however, add the caveat ‘that’s not taking anything away from what Boland has done.’ 

Boland has made a flying start to his Test career, amassing incredible figures for Australia

But Ponting believes Boland’s good performances is due to good fortune rather than skill

‘Boland’s record is outstanding, he probably deserves to be in the team. But the cold, hard facts are that he wasn’t in Australia’s best three fast bowlers at the start of the summer.’ 

Boland’s omission comes as Australia have one eye on their February tour of India, where pitches will favour spin bowlers. 

Captain Cummins said that the hosts would use the Sydney Test to help prepare for their overseas trip.

‘We’ll) probably get more spin overs here, our batters are probably going to face more spin here as well,’ he said.

‘Even personally, captaining here might be a little different to the last few Test matches. So it’s a really good prep.’