When then Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox announced in October that he was stepping aside to allow Ricky Ponting to inherit his job, scarcely anyone could have foreseen that the move would have had such far-reaching implications in such a short space of time.

Sure enough, Ponting's graduation to the position was aimed at enhancing his chances of ultimately becoming the national skipper.

Yet there must have been precious few people either in Australia or beyond its shores who could have imagined that he would be anointed just six games into his career as his state's new leader.

Not even Cox himself, who admitted to a hint of surprise upon hearing the news along with his Tasmanian teammates in Melbourne yesterday.

"It was a bit of a surprise, I thought," said Cox of the news that Ponting had won nomination for the top national job ahead of Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne.

"But I think he'll do a fantastic job (nonetheless).

A precociously gifted player who rose to prominence after a brilliant underage career, Ponting made his debut for Tasmania at 17. His first appearance for Australia arrived at the age of 20 and he has been a near-permanent fixture in its Test and one-day international teams ever since.

His hold on a berth in the top flight loosened briefly following his involvement in two off field incidents - the first at a nightclub in Calcutta in 1998 and the other at a bar in Sydney in early 1999. He also endured a period on the sidelines after he crashed into a boundary hoarding at the SCG in February 1999, seriously injuring his ankle.

But his potential suitability for a role at Australia's helm has continued to be touted strongly.

Aside from being one of the few players in recent years to graduate to the national team at a young age, the 27-year-old is widely regarded as possessing one of the better cricket-brains in the current Australian squad. He's also perceived to carry the air of dynamism and flair that often marks the sport's great captains.

Though his captaincy resume contains only a limited number of entries to date, and notwithstanding the fact that his new appointment ensures that he will be the first Tasmanian representative to hold the Australian team's senior leadership position, confidence in his capacities has duly been quick to emerge.

"He's shown good leadership skills with us in the few games we've had under him so far, and I think he'll do really well at international level too. Particularly with an even more talented group of individuals playing under him," said Cox.

"It was obviously a major part of our thinking in wanting him to do the (Tasmanian) job.

"Basically because we thought that, one day, he'd be able to step in to the national duties and to do them really well."

© 2002 CricInfo Ltd