Ponting Announces Retirement

[angryangy]

Ricky Ponting to retire | News.com.au

https://twitter.com/MitchellGlenn/status/273990700549410816
https://twitter.com/NeilManthorp/status/273991725591191553
https://twitter.com/brydoncoverdale/status/273993796105150464
https://twitter.com/abcgrandstand/status/273993873754292225
https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/273993846252261376

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Ponting: my decision, not selectors; easy because form isn't not good enough to get to Ashes. Passion for the game not declined. Will play out the season for Tasmania and Hurricanes. Other days and times to reflect; immediate focus is on the Test match. Game is like a grand final; hungrier than ever for win. If they get team back to number one, then there's no better time to finish. Contemplated the decision towards end of Adelaide; told team they'd never seen him emotional... but he was this morning.

Full squad present; credit: Neil Manthorp

Clarke a bit emotional... "been an amazing player for a long time" before long pause after reflecting on Ponting's role in his career "and that'll do me for today"; happy to move on talking team strategy.

 

[VC the slogger]

Hoping that he finishes well in the Perth test. What a brilliant player he's been for Australia.

 

[sami ullah khan]

Sad Days for cricket really. Ponting is one of the top three batsmen of the last decade. He dominated whenever he scored. I loved watching him hook the quickest bowlers like they medium pacers. This may trigger Sachin's retirement as well.

 

[Left_Hander]

Always been one of my favourite players. Very sad to see him go. I was hoping he would retire in Sydney so I could see him one last time, but unfortunately that won't happen. Thanks for being a great servant Ricky.

 

[HawkAussie]

Very sad to see him leave. He was one of my favitoure players and hopes he gets a 200 or even 100 in his final match. Thank you Ricky for the memorys

 

[swacker]

Test average says it all. Fantastic player, good luck to him in retirement.

 

[aussie1st]

Great player and will be missed, so many great memories. Like LH would have loved if he made his final match at the SCG as I am going to it but good on him now probably is the right time.

 

[Fenil]

A brilliant player. If at all there was any other batsman than Dravid I loved playing like, it was Ricky Ponting and not Tendulkar to be honest. I even tried to do a Ricky Ponting-esque backlift and all. Probably the best #3 batter for Australia ever. That said, like what Samiullah mentioned, this might prompt Sachin to retire after the ongoing series against England.

 

[Biggy]

I had a feeling he would have played Perth then retired after or been dropped if he had failed, didn't see this coming though. Hopefully this doesn't bring Quniey back into the mix.

 

[midgetwars]

What the hell is Warner doing?

 

[Lee1981]

What the hell is Warner doing?

The same as everyone else there.

 

[angryangy]

He's being short.

 

[sifter132]

This feels wrong. It feels rushed. And what a tribute to an almost 38 year old when you can say that! Sure, Ponting hasn't made runs in the last 2 Tests, but it's exactly that - 2 Tests! He's played 167 of them, surely he's failed 3 innings in a row before...Even if you go back further to his 221 and 60* vs India in Adelaide last year - that was only 9 innings ago and those innings were spaced out over 9 months! Just last month he made a beautiful 160-odd vs the best Shield attack in the country (Vics). He's 2nd on the run scoring (and average) list for Australia in the last 12 months - as good as possible with Clarke in the team... His 7 50+ scores are the most in the last 12 months by an Aussie Test player, Clarke included. Yes I'm cherry picking these stats to some extent to include the India series, but I feel that if Ponting had just played out the summer he'd have a true feel of how he's going and what he could offer in the future.

To stop now and say it was because he wasn't playing up to standard is...risky. What if he scores a lovely 100 in Perth? Does he unretire? That would be stupid, so reading between the lines it's probably something else: perhaps he's putting too much pressure on himself and stressing himself out (he certainly LOOKS that way when he's batting); maybe he doesn't like the continual scrutiny about his spot (2 bad Tests and the vultures came out pretty quickly this summer despite being one of Australia's best ever - if Malcolm's Conn crappy writing has played a part, I'm angry...); or maybe his confidence is just shaken and he doesn't see it returning.

Ah well, whatever the reason...I knew it was coming, but I still feel a great sense of loss. This is a sad day - I feel numb right now. To me Ponting is PROBABLY the greatest batsman I've seen - certainly not over his whole career, but for a golden period in the last 90s and particularly the early 2000s he was insanely good. He averaged almost 75, and hit 23 100s over a 52 Test span between 2001/02-2006/07, the highest of anyone in 52 consecutive Tests bar Bradman. (The List: Who is closest to Don Bradman, George Lohmann and Joel Garner? | Regulars | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo) At that time he was almost impossible to bowl to. You had to get him early or it was a long day of leather chasing ahead, quick to get forward and drive, even quicker to rock back with a cut or the legendary pull shot. I certainly won't be forgetting Ricky Ponting in a hurry.

 

[War]

This feels wrong. It feels rushed. And what a tribute to an almost 38 year old when you can say that! Sure, Ponting hasn't made runs in the last 2 Tests, but it's exactly that - 2 Tests! He's played 167 of them, surely he's failed 3 innings in a row before...Even if you go back further to his 221 and 60* vs India in Adelaide last year - that was only 9 innings ago and those innings were spaced out over 9 months! Just last month he made a beautiful 160-odd vs the best Shield attack in the country (Vics). He's 2nd on the run scoring (and average) list for Australia in the last 12 months - as good as possible with Clarke in the team... His 7 50+ scores are the most in the last 12 months by an Aussie Test player, Clarke included. Yes I'm cherry picking these stats to some extent to include the India series, but I feel that if Ponting had just played out the summer he'd have a true feel of how he's going and what he could offer in the future.

To stop now and say it was because he wasn't playing up to standard is...risky. What if he scores a lovely 100 in Perth? Does he unretire? That would be stupid, so reading between the lines it's probably something else: perhaps he's putting too much pressure on himself and stressing himself out (he certainly LOOKS that way when he's batting); maybe he doesn't like the continual scrutiny about his spot (2 bad Tests and the vultures came out pretty quickly this summer despite being one of Australia's best ever - if Malcolm's Conn crappy writing has played a part, I'm angry...); or maybe his confidence is just shaken and he doesn't see it returning.

Ah well, whatever the reason...I knew it was coming, but I still feel a great sense of loss. This is a sad day - I feel numb right now. To me Ponting is PROBABLY the greatest batsman I've seen - certainly not over his whole career, but for a golden period in the last 90s and particularly the early 2000s he was insanely good. He averaged almost 75, and hit 23 100s over a 52 Test span between 2001/02-2006/07, the highest of anyone in 52 consecutive Tests bar Bradman. (The List: Who is closest to Don Bradman, George Lohmann and Joel Garner? | Regulars | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo) At that time he was almost impossible to bowl to. You had to get him early or it was a long day of leather chasing ahead, quick to get forward and drive, even quicker to rock back with a cut or the legendary pull shot. I certainly won't be forgetting Ricky Ponting in a hurry.

Numb is the right word - i screamed when i saw the headline on cricinfo. God i'm going to miss punter. Was lucky enough to see him bat in the flesh on ashes tours in 97, 01, 05 & 09 and twice in the Caribbean in 2003 & 2011.

Agreed it seemed rushed, similar to how Hayden retired. It is as if the media wanted him out & the first signs of failures was questioning his place instead taking a more encouraging approach. After all these years it probably has got to him.

That 2001 (when he officially started batting @ # 3 full time) - 2006/07 ashes period you mentioned was certainly his ultimately peak. Only Greg Chappell & Bradman as aussie batsmen were better than him during this period.

Feel great thinking back that i was in the stands @ old trafford in 2005 to see him score that 156 - the best innings i've seen live. PONTING FOREVER!!

 

[midgetwars]

The same as everyone else there.

Not really, Warner's high up standing on some locker