Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting has strongly endorsed emerging star Phillip Hughes and expressed hope that Andrew Symonds will return as quickly as possible.
Ponting and his vice-captain, Michael Clarke, tied for the Border Medal on Tuesday night — the first time more than one player has won the award in its 10-year history.
It was also a big night for Hughes, the 20-year-old NSW opening batsman, who won the Bradman Young Cricketer Award.
But earlier in the day, Cricket Australia had ruled that Symonds would not be available for selection on the South Africa tour.
Symonds will receive further counselling after some much-publicised off-field incidents.
The national selectors will meet on Wednesday to pick the squad for South Africa.
Hughes enhanced his prospects when he scored a century and a half-century for the Blues in their Sheffield Shield win over Tasmania last week.
“There’s a Test team to be named for South Africa in a couple of days’ time and a big game that finished a couple of days ago and it was important for Phil to make runs in that game — he has done that,” Ponting said.
“That’s a great judge of character in a young player, to be able to stand up when needed.”
Ponting said it was tough for him to comment about Symonds because he is a friend away from cricket, as well as a national team-mate.
“We all know Andrew is probably going through some difficult times at the moment, everybody in Australia would love to see Andrew back playing cricket for Australia,” Ponting said.
“But there’s obviously a process in place right at the moment with the experts he’s been dealing with, sort of saying it’s not the right time, right now.
“He will accept the decision that’s come his way and as players we obviously have to accept that decision as well.
“But at the same time we all hope and wish him all the best in the next few weeks while we’re away in South Africa.”
Ponting was genuinely surprised to win his fourth Border Medal, while it was the second time Clarke had taken out Australian cricket’s highest individual honour.
Clarke also won the Test Player of the Year Award.
Nathan Bracken was named the top one-day player, South Australian Michael Klinger took out the state player and all-rounder Shelley Nitschke, won the women’s international category.
“The feelings for me tonight were just come, turn up and have a good night – I expected that Mitchell (Johnson) or Michael would be the guys to take out the main award,” Ponting said.
“I knew I was in both final four or five (in the Test and one-day awards) … but you try and work things out in your head and I thought I was miles away, to tell the truth.
“But the way things worked out, I was lucky enough to share the award with Michael, which obviously for Michael is a fantastic achievement as well.”
Hughes did not want to talk about his chances of making the squad for South Africa.
“There’s been a lot of talk over the last couple of weeks. I just want to keep enjoying my cricket,” he said.
“It’s really out of my hands.”
Cricket Australia will announce the South African squad either on Wednesday or Thursday.
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