AUSTRALIAN Test captain Ricky Ponting yesterday paid tribute to the man who launched his cricket career.
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Launceston sporting stalwart Ian Young, who gave a 14-year-old Ponting his A-grade debut at Mowbray, died on Sunday aged 68.
The Aussie skipper marked his passing by wearing a black armband during day three of the second Test against India in Bangalore.
Young, a former groundsman with the NTCA and president of the NTFA, also helped Ponting sign his famous bat sponsorship deal with Kookaburra at the age of 13 and kept in contact with the multiple ICC player of the year.
"Dad was a massive influence on Rick," said Young's son Shaun, who played Test cricket alongside Ponting in 1997.
"When he saw a technical glitch in Ricky's play on TV he'd ring him up and tell him.
"He was very proud when Rick played for Australia."
Tributes flooded into The Examiner yesterday for a man universally known as "Youngy", many clubs joining state bodies including AFL Tasmania and Cricket Tasmania.
"The support from the sporting community has been overwhelming and the word they all keep using is champion," Shaun added.
