Will keep our fingers crossed and hope that he can get back to playing sooner rather than later

Ponting has opened up on his affection for Rishabh Pant following the India international’s accident and suggested that the hugely-popular player could take up a role alongside him in the dugout at Delhi Capitals during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Australian legend Ponting, speaking on The ICC Review, revealed that he has been in contact with Pant during the 25-year-old’s recovery.

“I absolutely love the bloke, I told him that on the phone the last couple of days,” Ponting told The ICC Review.

“It was a horrifying time, a really scary time for everybody, let alone him. Anyone that knows him loves him – he’s a really infectious young guy that has the world at his feet still.

“So we will keep our fingers crossed and hope that he can get back to playing sooner rather than later.”

Pant was involved in a car crash on December 30 and suffered a number of serious injuries, however he is making good progress with his recovery and is expected to eventually make a return to the field.

The timeframe on Pant’s return to cricket remains unclear, with his participation in this season’s IPL not yet completely ruled out

“I think he’s ranked in the top six-seven Test batsmen in the world, isn’t he?” Ponting asked (Pant is currently seventh in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, India’s highest-ranked batter).

“When he first started, we probably all thought he was going to be a better T20 and one-day batsman than a Test batsman, but it’s actually worked the other way. His Test cricket has been remarkable.

“Even the series coming up against Australia, the four-Test series there, we know how he played against Australia in Australia last time. He’d have been looking forward to that series, and the rest of the world would have been looking forward to watching him play.”

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