What Ricky Ponting said to BJ Watling

While the Black Caps test side are in action in India, BJ Watling is now watching on as a fan.

Having retired following the World Test Championship final victory in June, the man regarded as New Zealand’s greatest test

wicketkeeper/batsman is now embarking on a coaching career, starting out with the Northern Districts academy.

As the cricket season swings into action, he’s a prime subject for this week’s Back Chat series, where we grill New Zealand sporting personalities with the hard and not-so-hard questions.

You’ve finally got a free Christmas/New Year, how are you going to spend it?

We’re definitely looking forward to quite a good break and just being able to sit back and watch the kids [sons Hunter 4] and Miller 1]) have a bit of fun. We’ll go see family for Christmas and Boxing Day and head to the Mount for a beach week away. It’s quite interesting, because the first test match of the summer’s there. I may pop down and watch a day with the oldest boy, I’ll see what the weather’s like.

Have you sat your sons down to watch your double hundred?

Nah. I certainly won’t make them. If one day they decide to I’m sure they can find it on YouTube or somewhere.

What’s worse, your knees, or fingers? The finger I broke (in the WTC final) has actually been a bit of a pain in the arse. It’s certainly not moving like it used to and it’s a bit swollen still. But the body’s feeling alright, I’ve started running again on the treadmill just to get myself moving. But I’m not going to miss some of those long days squatting.

That finger also allowed you to ‘escape’ MIQ?

It was a bit of a process, we obviously went through the Government exemptions. At the time of playing I just thought it was dislocated, but I needed to get it looked at because it was gradually throbbing a bit more. So I was lucky enough to go to hospital. The joint had been fractured in quite a few places, so there was going to have to be surgery. But it did break up the 14-day stay nicely, though.

Did you tuck that Mace in every night?

No. I think (having it) it was a bit of a stitch up in the end, to be fair, because it meant you had to do all the media for the two weeks, to see the Mace in these Zoom calls. But I’ll take those two weeks of media so long as we had the trophy.

Have you ever seen Kane Williamson angry, or give the team a serve?

I wouldn’t say ‘angry’, but I guess ‘grumpy’. Every now and then he put in some firm words, but there’s still a lot of calmness. It’s more just a checkpoint. He won’t look to spray anyone or do anything too aggressive, and it’s a nice way to just rev the boys up a bit and make sure we’re all going in the right direction. I’m sure Kane gets frustrated, but he’s definitely got his emotions in check.

Worst team-mate in the dressing room?

Tim Southee. But the thing is, he’s great to have in the changing room, because he brings the banter and light-heartedness. Especially if you’re having a tough game, or whatever it is, he keeps the energy levels up and he can be pretty funny. But a pest.

Cricketing idol growing up?

Obviously till I was 10 I was in South Africa, so there’s no offence with this, but Jonty Rhodes. Obviously he was charging around in the field, he was an unbelievable athlete, and the way he went about his work kind of inspired me when I was a little kid.

Best (or worst) sledge copped?

The best one I got was in my fourth game, at Seddon Park, we were playing Australia . . . we were walking out to bat and up alongside me comes Ricky Ponting, and he basically told me that this would be my last ever test match. I love Ricky Ponting, I looked up to him and the way he played the game, and I’m just getting a bit of a serve from him. I sort of took it as, ‘maybe he’s got a little bit of respect for me and wants to try and get inside my head’. But who knows?’’

‘‘ . . we were walking out to bat and up alongside me comes Ricky Ponting, and he basically told me that this would be my last ever test match.’’