PONTING PRATTFALL

RICKY PONTING believed England were trying to pull a fast one about fast bowlers going on and off the pitch in the 2005 Ashes. It had been a bugbear of his all series, so when the Australian captain was run out by the substitute fielder Gary Pratt at Trent Bridge, it was always going to kick off. “You f ****** cheats,” he shouted across to us. “Is this how you want to play, is it? He shouldn’t even be on the field.”

It didn’t help Ricky he chose the worst possible moment to make his point. Simon Jones was actually injured – to the extent that he never played international cricket again.

Ricky would get over it, and carry on a glittering career, but for me it was the end of the substitute fielder Pratt.

The thing is, in 2005 it seemed he wanted to be 12th man for England more than he wanted to play for Durham. It was a shame because the kid had ability.

I wouldn’t say he went ‘big time’, but when he turned up on the bus for the victory parade, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘What the f*** are you doing on here?’

His fielding was magnificent, but in the end I think Durham looked at him and thought, ‘What are you playing at, son? Do you really want to play cricket?’

His career just petered out.