Cairns – It’s time for Ponting to retire | Thebigtip

 Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has claimed that Ricky Ponting’s time as an international cricketer is up, something many who play real money games agree with.

The Australian batsman has recently vowed to keep fighting for his place despite being 36-years-old and on a poor run of form with the bat.

Cairns believes that in order for Australia to move into a new era positively, they need to call time on Ponting’s test career, allowing a new group of younger batsman to take the team forward.

He said: “I don't think you can have two years averaging 27 as a No 3. I think it's his time. And when you look at the likes of Mark Taylor, (Ian) Healy, Mark Waugh - they were told it was their time.”

“And there's an elephant in the room at the moment in Ricky Ponting that nobody is really addressing.”

“Don't get me wrong, I've got the utmost respect for Ricky Ponting but there's a time and a place. And for me, his time and place is Hobart in the second Test against New Zealand. That's to say, 'Thanks very much.”

“Australia for me was an uncompromising cricket nation, but I've felt there's been decisions they make that have been compromising in the last couple of years.”
 
“They've allowed Ricky to keep going because of his stature in the game and who he is. But why should he have to make the call? At the end of the day, for me, Australia has always been about the team and what's best.”

“He is behind Bradman, Australia's greatest batsman, so they're managing it. But I just think it's an elephant in the room. I really do. Australia has got rebuilding to do.”

Cairns does make some fair points. Can Australian cricket really move on without calling time on Ponting’s career? Is having someone who captained the side for so long in the team helpful for new captain Michael Clarke?

If Clarke was pushed on the issue, he might agree that it would be best for Ponting to bow out now. It’s not as if he has been scoring lots of runs either, so the decision should be a lot easier than Cricket Australia are making it out to be.

Even Ponting’s former team-mate Mark Waugh thinks it could be time for Ponting to retire, saying that ‘he’s got to score runs’ if he is to be considered for future test squads.

Time will tell what Ponting and the Australian selectors decide to do.