Ricky Ponting is a man who screams Down Under. With the way he walked out ot the bat, to the way he fearlessly pulled the fierce bowlers of his generation to the cleaners. He was Australian from his toes to the tips of his hair. And so it wasn't a surprise that he would back his countryman and a batting legend in himself, Steve Smith, in a "Winner Stays On" interview with Sky Sports ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 Ashes series in Australia.

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However, the extent to which he preferred the Aussie batter was somewhat embarrassing when you consider the names that Ricky Ponting disregarded. Punter chose Steve Smith over the likes of Javed Miandad, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, and last but definitely not least, the God of Cricket himself, Sachin Tendulkar!

As soon as Sky Sports posted this video on their socials, it blew up with comments and fans posting their opinions about Ricky Ponting's answers. And it's safe to say that while some defended Ricky Ponting for being patriotic, many weren't having it.

A fan stated, "Punter will always be Aussie first and I love his patriotism. Obviously he's gonna pick Smith though everyone knows Sachin was better than him. Even Lara imo."

While another fan called it a "load of bollocks", further adding, "Ponting couldn’t be impartial if his life depended on it. Smith better than Sachin🤦‍♂🤦‍♂🤣🤣" A user shared his thoughts that were quite similar to the one before, "@RickyPonting Better than Lara and Tendulkar ? 😂😂😂😂 What are you on Ricky"

A fan went as far as to post a GIF of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's famous "Idiot Sandwich" quote in the replies to Ricky Ponting's hot take.

While there's no denying that Steve Smith is a modern great of the game and will go down as the best of the best in the longest format of the game, a few names, like those of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, remain untouchable for the exploits they have pulled off. And under the smirk that he had during the entirety of the interview, Ricky Ponting must definitely know this.