Ricky Ponting [Images] is on the verge of joining an exclusive club of 10,000 Test runs, but the Australian captain said he was not aware of his impending milestone only to be told by a team official.

Ponting is just 61 runs away from joining the elite club of Brian Lara [Images], Sachin Tendulkar [Images], Allan Border [Images], Steve Waugh, Sunil Gavaskar [Images] and Rahul Dravid [Images].

After Ponting hit a century in the first innings of the first Test against the West Indies [Images] in Kingston [Images], team media manager Lachy Patterson told the Aussie skipper that he would be joining a club of illustrious cricketers.

"Lachy told me about that after I was dismissed in the first innings the other day," Ponting was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

"All I had on my mind going into the second innings was getting 66. If Lachy hadn't told me, I would have had no idea whatsoever," added Ponting, who got out cheaply for five in the second innings.

Ponting's batting average of 58.81 is better than any other member of the 10,000-run club and he can become the fastest Australian to reach the milestone in the second Test in Antigua.

10,000-run club:
Brian Lara (11,953 at 52.88);
Sachin Tendulkar (11,782 at 55.31);
Allan Border (11,174 at 50.56);
Steve Waugh (10,927 at 51.06);
Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 at 51.12);
Rahul Dravid (10,098 at 54.88).