Ponting targets 2013 ashes series for retirement – Cricket News Update
The under fire former Australian captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RT-Ponting-c2377, has no plans of bidding adieu to Test cricket, at least before the 2013 Ashes series against England.
After failing to perform in the ongoing triangular Commonwealth Bank series, Ponting on Tuesday was dropped from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 and India.
After getting the axe from the one-day squad, the veteran Tasmanian batsman admitted that his ODI career seems to be over, and he might never get a chance to play a one-day again. However, taking heart from a successful Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 – in which
he averaged above 100 – Punter said he wants to continue his Test career at least until next year’s Ashes series in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c749.
“Being dropped from the ODI team hasn’t changed the way I think about the Test game. I’m backing myself to finish my career on a high. I don’t want to finish on low,” said Ponting during a media encounter in Sydney.
"It'd be great to get back to the Ashes. If I'm a good enough player to do that then it'd be great to go back there one more time and hopefully have a few better memories of England than what I've had the last couple of tours," he added further.
Besides being the most successful ODI captain of Australia (165 wins in 230 ODIs as captain), the 37-year-old Tasmanian has some bitter memories of England. He led the Kangaroos in four Ashes series between 2004 and 2011, losing three of them.
After failing to perform in Test cricket for almost two years, the Tasmanian returned to form in late 2011 with a couple of half centuries against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, before being dominant in the four-match Test series against India last month.
Against India, he scored 544 runs at an average of 108.80 in six innings. The tally included two centuries and three half centuries.
“With the Indian Test series going the way it did for me, it has been reinforced I still have what it takes to be a dominant player in the Test arena,” said Punter who has played 162 Tests and averages 53.44.
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