One of modern-day cricket's greatest ever players Ricky Ponting announced his retirement from Test cricket Thursday.
The Australian maestro will call it a day on his international career after the third and final Test match against South Africa in Perth.
Ponting will play his 168th Test match at the WACA, to equal Steve Waugh's record for most appearances by an Australian, with the 37-year-old only second to the great Sachin Tendulkar in total runs scored.
Ponting, in his remarkable Test career, has made 13,366 runs at an average of 52.21. Ponting, however, in recent times has seen his form drop considerably, and the right-hander acknowledged that was one of the main reasons behind his decision.
"My output as an Australian batsman wasn't good enough," he told reporters. "I want to be a consistent performer, and if you look back over the last 12 or 18 months I haven't been able to perform consistently.
"I've had moments of really good stuff, and prolonged moments of cricket that's been below my expectations and below a par level for me, so there hasn't been one dismissal or one moment, it's just been in my own eyes reasonably consistent failure. That's why I believe the time is right now to be making this decision.
"I believe now is the right time to make this decision.
"My passion for cricket hasn't changed. I'm looking forward to finishing off the season with Tasmania in the Big Bash with the Hobart Hurricanes."
Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who took over the top job from Ponting recently, was overcome with emotion, finding it hard to find the words to express his feelings over the decision of one of Australia's greatest ever players.
"No I didn't have a feeling it was coming," Clarke said. "The boys are obviously hurting, he has been an amazing player for a long time."
Clarke then appeared to hold back some tears, before saying: "And that will do me for today. Sorry I can't answer that."
Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland also paid tribute to Ponting. "Ricky has had an extraordinary career and has made an extraordinary contribution, including through the example he has set for other elite players and through the excitement he has given fans, young and old," he said.
"There is much to admire, including his pride in his roots at his local cricket club that he spoke so eloquently of at last month's Bradman Oration, through to the fact that he takes to the field tomorrow for his 168th Test as one of the best prepared players in the modern game.
"I think his record until he retired as captain was outstanding but my respect for him since then has actually increased, seeing first-hand how he stepped back to become a total team player, absolutely committed to his captain, unstinting in his work to help other players and single-minded in his view that everything, including his own ambition, must always be second place after whatever was best for the team."
