He stated that the reason he was quitting the popular T20 format was to concentrate on traditional formats such as Test cricket and the limited overs format, adding that he wanted to prolong his career and improve his game in these formats.

 

The Skipper is not the first Australian this year to retire. Andrew Flintoff quit from Test cricket on July 15, in order to improve his Twenty20 game. This makes Ponting’s decision to quit Twenty20 a rather unique one. Most cricketers like Flintoff are reducing their time on traditional formats in order to focus more on the exciting new format which has brought in a new legion of fans for the game.

 

The advent of the Indian Premier League has also made the Twenty20 format more commercially viable than the others. Cricketers are earning more than ever and making new fans as they go along. Ponting himself had reportedly earned an impressive US $ 3 million during his stint as a team member of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the League. Incidentally, he is expected to continue his stint with the IPL as he is contractually obligated to do so.

 

In an effort to explain his decision, Ponting said, “I have also spoken to Andrew Hilditch (chief selector), Tim Nielsen (coach) and Michael Clarke (vice captain) and I feel this decision provides me the opportunity to prolong my Australian Test and One-day career, an opportunity I am extremely determined about. As I said after the fifth Test in London, I am hoping to continue playing Test cricket for as long as possible and retiring from the Twenty20 format gives me the best chance of doing this.”

 

James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia said that Ponting’s decision to quit Twenty20 will be “a huge loss to the Twenty20 side”. He also said that this decision might however increase the opportunities presented to other players inside Australia to get more experience of the format.

 

Ponting is also the captain of the Twenty20 Australian team, therefore Cricket Australia will have to make a decision concerning a new captain for the format. The organisation in a statement said that it would make its decision later this year. Currently the top favourite to take over the mantle is Michael Clark who is the Vice Captain of the team. He led the Australian team in Ponting’s absence in England.

 

Ricky Ponting has 38 centuries under his belt after playing 136 test matches in his career, ranking at second highest in the world of cricket. The first place belongs to India’s Sachin Tendulkar who has 43 test centuries under his notch. Ponting also has made an impressive 11,345 Test runs in his career and is one of the few batsmen who cross the ten thousand milestone.