Tom Moody recalls the crazy 1999 World Cup scenes at Lord's, saying, "Ponting delivered song on my shoulders."

Ricky Ponting was referred to as a “punter” by spin legend Shane Warne for a reason. Ponting was a character on the pitch, after all. In addition to putting some money on the line by coaching Australia to two World Cup victories, he was interested in betting on dog races. However, in the early part of his career, the veteran was a “song master,” according to former teammate Tom Moody.

Australia made it to the World Cup 1999 final, where they faced Pakistan, despite being denied the World Cup trophy in 1996.

Tom Moody clarified that the team’s victory song for a Test or ODI series triumph was “Beneath the Southern Cross,” a song by American artist Patti Smith.

Moody remembered that Ponting had sat atop the former’s shoulders and sang the song on the pitch following the thrilling 1999 trophy win over Pakistan.

“The Australian team has a tradition of singing that team song following a victory in a Test match or one-day series. The songmaster was none other than Ricky Ponting, and he put it directly on my shoulders. I’m still getting better with my lower back,” Moody stated, as reported by TOI.

“We took our time in the changing room to savour the moment and the pleasure of the trip. We were in our own bubble, he said, even though a wide range of individuals, including family and well-known cricket enthusiasts, came through.

In The Hundred 2024, Moody is the head coach of Oval Invincibles, a side that has advanced to the championship game, which will take place at Lord’s, the venue of Australia’s 1999 World Cup victory. Invincibles will be the defending champions for a second time in a row if they pull off a victory.