McGrath was hardest player for me to captain:Ponting

Taking a cheeky dig at Glenn McGrath, former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has revealed that the pace legend was the most difficult player to handle during his tenure as captain.

While speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing first Commonwealth Bank Test between Australia and South Africa in Perth, the veteran of 168 Tests said that McGrath was the hardest player for him because of his fuming reaction to being removed from the attack.

"Everyone will sit back and think that he's the easiest, that you give him the ball, he comes on and he'd do a job for you. And yes, that's right, but at some stage you had to try and get the ball off him as well," Ponting was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

"I'd tell him 'that's enough mate, have a rest' and for the next 10 or 15 minutes he'd be walking around with his sleeve over his mouth calling me every name under the sun.

The 41-year-old said that McGrath used to stand down at fine leg and keep abusing the entire crowd just because he was not bowling.

While McGrath often gave Ponting grief when he was removed from the attack, the pacer proved to be an outstanding servant to his skipper during their stint together in Australia's Test side.

Twenty-five of McGrath's 124 Tests as well as 96 of his 375 ODIs came with Ponting as captain. He bagged 115 Tests and 147 ODIs wicket when Ponting was in charge.

The pair also enjoyed five Ashes series victories and three World Cup triumphs together.