<table style="width: 149px; height: 42px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="149" align="right" border="1">  <tbody>  <tr>  <td><img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/mar/ponting123.jpg" border="0" /></td></tr>  <tr>  <td>  <p align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt">Ricky Ponting</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table>Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday praised Ricky Ponting as a "great bloke" as former players also hailed the batsman, who stepped down as the country's Test and ODI captain.<br /><br />Gillard said she had called to congratulate Ponting on his achievements, after he quit the captaincy in the wake of last week's World Cup exit at the hands of India. <br /><br />"To play that kind of role for Australia is an enormous privilege and I know from talking to Ricky today that he has felt that privilege," Gillard told reporters. <br /><br />"He's our greatest batsman after (Don) Bradman... I think all of us would wish him well in whatever he chooses to do for the balance of his life.<br /><br />"He's still a very young man but many, many accolades are going to flow in the direction of Ponting."

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Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday praised Ricky Ponting as a "great bloke" as former players also hailed the batsman, who stepped down as the country's Test and ODI captain

Ponting greatest Aussie after Bradman: Aus PM

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Ponting greatest Aussie after Bradman: Aus PM

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