South African all-rounder Marco Jansen has revealed the powerful piece of advice from Australian legend Ricky Ponting that has helped him stay in sizzling form. Marco has been enjoying a golden run of form, having shown his mettle in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He was one of the standout performers of the season, picking up 16 wickets from 14 games. Ponting, who served as head coach of Punjab Kings at IPL 2025, has long been known for his ability to inspire young players. And this was the first time that Marco Jansen had interacted with Ponting.
"Before I left (India), he (Ponting) just said 'good luck, I hope you do well, but I hope you lose," Jansen told ICC.
"I learnt a lot from him, especially from a mental point of view. He is always positive and he always sees the good stuff instead of the bad stuff, if it makes sense," said Jansen.
"And I think that's why he's a legend of the game, because you always lean towards what could happen instead of what could go wrong. For me personally in the IPL, he's helped a lot in that regard, because he always reminds you what could be, what you can do and what could happen instead of what couldn't happen," he added.
Now, Marco Jansen is gearing up for the biggest stage of all — the World Test Championship (WTC) final — where South Africa will face Australia at Lord’s on June 11. The Proteas are eyeing their first-ever WTC title.