Ricky Ponting's been in the game a long time, nearly 17 years in fact, but he'll have had few more eventful weeks than the past seven days.
He started last Sunday with his team on the verge of taking a 1-0 lead in this year's Ashes series but finished the week staring down the barrel of a heavy loss.
In between, he's questioned his opposing captain's sportsmanship then, as a matter of course, had his sense of fair play analysed, mostly unfavourably. He's also renewed acquaintances with Her Majesty.
Just like Job had his patience tested in the Old Testament, the cricket gods have done likewise for Ponting in this game, treating him more like a Punter than a Pontiff.
On Saturday, he copped the bum end of a controversial and equally confusing umpiring decision.
To a chorus of appeals for lbw, Ponting was adjudged caught at slip.
Unsure whether the ball had carried to Strauss, umpire Rudi Koertzen referred to third umpire Nigel Llong.
Footage showed the ball was indeed taken on the full but also revealed it did not hit any part of Ponting's bat.
According to ICC rules, Ponting should have been given not out.
"The third umpire has to determine whether the batsman has been caught," reads Rule 3.2.3.1c on 'clean catches'.
"However, when reviewing the television replay(s), if it is clear to the third umpire that the batsman did not hit the ball, he shall indicate that the batsman is not out."
There was another wicked twist. Hawkeye showed Ponting was also out lbw. So if players had the right in this match to appeal to a third umpire, which they will as of October in Tests, Ponting would have been out, not out, then out.
Somebody fetch me a stiff drink!
Ponting's nerve would have been tested further on Saturday when Ravi Bopara was reprieved with the aid of technology.
Bopara pulled Mitchell Johnson, who has provided his captain with another headache, to Nathan Hauritz, who dived forward to take a low chance.
Bopara stood his ground, forcing the decision to upstairs.
The footage was inconclusive as to whether the ball had carried or fallen short.
The verdict? Bopara not out.
If Australia can't get out of jail, in the years to come don't hold it against Ponting if he remembers this week for sharing court with the Queen rather than anything that happened on the field.