‘Well, he’s out now’: Ricky Ponting shuts down gushing Kevin Pietersen

Ricky Ponting doesn’t care if he’s on live TV. If he hears some nonsense come from an Englishman, he’s going to let them know.

Ricky Ponting doesn’t care if he’s on live TV. If he hears some nonsense come from an Englishman, he’s going to let them know.

The former Aussie skipper has already made his mark on the series from behind the microphone, offering accurate insights, predictions and sometimes reality checks when need be.

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That was evident again on day four at Edgbaston as former English batsman Kevin Pietersen was shouting to the hills about how dominant Joe Root was in the second innings, exclaiming that Australia simply didn’t know what to do with the veteran batsman as he plundered 46.

Fans have noted it was typical of Pietersen’s style of commentary, which usually amounts to gushing praise for anyone in a blue helmet.

“Joe Root owned the game. He ran the game, he was pure quality and he just owned that space, with (Australia) scratching their heads going ‘what do we do?’” Pietersen said.

It was all going well for Joe Root until...

...whoops.

Ponting couldn’t help himself as Pietersen lauded over the home side’s most in-form player, reminding him that he had, in fact, already been dismissed.

“Well, he’s out now. He got 40,” Ponting quipped.

The deliciously awkward moment attracted comments from Aussie fans, who said it’s clear that even at 48 and after 11 years out of the game, Punter still seizes opportunities to torment the Poms.

Peak alpha stuff from Punter here that @gradecricketer would be proud of:

✅ speaks only in sidemouth while looking disinterested
✅ Shuts down some waffle in one sentence
✅ Rounds down the oppositions score

RTP still terrorising England.#Ashespic.twitter.com/TX5KXoJYQm

— Josh Conway (@BuzzConway_) June 19, 2023

Ponting was busy at the close of day four, also returning fire at Ollie Robinson after the Englishman’s fiery outburst at Usman Khawaja.

Robinson had mouths wagging in Australia after refusing to apologise for yelling “f*** off, you f***ing pr**k” directly at Khawaja after dismissing him for 141 in the first innings.

Ricky Ponting wasn’t letting Pietersen get away with anything.

In a post match interview on Monday, the Pommy paceman blamed his actions on the heat of the contest and said his sledge wasn’t anything out of line, considering what England has been through in the past.

He referenced Ponting for doing similar to English batters in Ashes series gone by, prompting a swift response from the former Aussie skipper.

Ponting said Robinson was openly sledging Australia’s “nicest” player and warned him that some English players’ true colours could be exposed over the course of the five-Test clash.

Ponting gave Robinson a partial pass due to the context of the game at the time. He was struggling for a wicket, and Khawaja was the man to get.

“A lot of this stuff happens in the heat of battle. The only thing I‘d say with Ollie yesterday is Khawaja was on 140, Robinson hadn’t looked like getting a wicket all day, and he’s just sledged probably the nicest man that’s ever walked on the planet,” Ponting told Sky Sports in Birmingham.

Ollie Robinson of England celebrates the wicket of David Warner of Australia. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

Ponting acknowledged the contrasting actions on the field, as Joe Root, England’s captain, approached Khawaja to shake his hand and commend his performance while Robinson delivered a send-off.

“That’s the contrast of maybe a bowler who is toiling away and is a little bit frustrated, and a fielder that sat back and watched a really good Test match innings,” he continued.

The peculiar feud led to some banter with his fellow commentators, former England captains Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain.

“I was sitting back having some pizza and watching the US Open golf, and my phone lit up with what he had to say in his press conference,” Ponting continued.

“I was a little bit surprised just because it’s so long ago. If he had used one of the current players as an example, then fine, but I haven’t played for eleven years and probably haven’t sledged an Englishman for about 15.

“He must have a long memory.”