Ricky Ponting Says Monkeygate Controversy Was The Lowest Point Of His Captaincy

Monkeygate Bigger Than 2005 Ashes Loss:

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has opened up about the Monkeygate controversy which rocked India tour of Australia in 2008.

The two-time world cup winning captain of Australia speaking in Sky Sports podcast said that the incident was the lowest point in his captaincy as he did not know what exactly was going on.

The incident began with Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds accusing Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh of racially abusing him during the second Test at Sydney.

However, the Indian cricketer has cleared off all the charges but Andrew Symonds career suffered a rapid decline after the incident.

Speaking about the incident Ponting said, “Monkeygate was probably the lowest (point in a career as captain). Losing the 2005 Ashes series was tough but I was in full control of that. But I wasn’t in full control of what happened during the Monkeygate thing.”

“It was a low point and also because it dragged on for so long. I remember coming off the ground during the Adelaide Test match and speaking to Cricket Australia officials about the case because the hearing was at the end of the Adelaide Test match,” Ponting added.

The incident also caused ill-feelings between India and Australia to an extent where India warned to withdraw from the tour in the middle. But with the intervention of ICC, the situation between the two teams returned to normal.

He further said, “We all felt let down by the end result (of the Monkeygate controversy). The fact that it got in the way of the way we played our cricket for the next Test match was probably the most disappointing thing,” said Australia batting great.

“So we go over there and India at Perth is game we expect to win and then we lost the match and after that, the next few days things just got worse and worse,”

About 2005 Ashes Series Loss:

He also spoke about the historic 2005 Ashes loss saying, “Everyone in 2005 expected us to just come over here, whitewash them (England) again and come back with the Ashes. That didn’t happen that way.”

“Certainly, for me, the 2005 defeat was the hardest to cope with. But 2010-11, we were just completely outplayed”, he added about the 2010-11 Ashes defeat.