Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting insists that he is comfortable with his decision to retire, after missing out on a fairy-tale ending to his test career.

37-year-old Ponting was unable to prevent the Baggy Greens falling to a comprehensive defeat in the final test against South Africa, with the hosts falling 309 runs short of their victory target.

Victory for Australia would have meant a return to the top of the ICC World Test Rankings for the first time in a number of years, but as it was the visitors stepped up their performance in Perth having narrowly missed out on defeat in the first two tests to hold onto their position at the top of international cricket.

On an individual level things also failed to go to plan for Ponting with the former captain again failing to make an impact on the game, hitting only 12 runs overall from his two innings to take his total to just 32 in the entire series.

Such a poor return probably justifies Ponting’s decision to call it a day after a wonderful career, but the Tasmanian admits that he would have loved to have gone out on a high:

It was not the way I wanted to finish with that performance and that result. However, the decision to walk away was a pretty easy one. I have tried to stay away from watching and listening to everything about my retirement this week. It's not unfolded the way I would have liked. I have and cherished every moment, it was always going to end at some stage I guess.

The retirement means that Ponting finishes his career with a staggering 13,378 Test match runs, and his average of just over 50 means that he is the second only to Sachin Tendulkar in that regard as well.

The South African players took it upon themselves to show their appreciation of Ponting’s achievements by forming a guard of honour after he was dismissed for the final time, and the Australian batsman said that he was touched by opposing captain, Graeme Smith’s gesture:

I was a little bit embarrassed and wish it didn't happen that way, but it was an amazing gesture by Graeme and the South African team. There are so many highlights I guess through 168 Tests. Your debuts are always special, Ashes series are always special, any time we've played against South Africa in my time has been a special series.

If you are a huge cricket fan or like to watch whilst playing online, you cannot doubt that he is one of the best the game has ever seen and will be missed.

Australia captain Michael Clarke has set his sights high ahead of a gruelling year of test cricket for his side. "I make no bones about the Australian team getting back on top," Clarke said, with his team currently lying in third in the test rankings.

Clarke, who took over from Ricky Ponting as the Australian test captain in early 2011, faces a tough challenge in trying to revive the glory years of the early 2000’s and go into the upcoming series with South Africa as underdogs.

But Clarke feels that their recent home demolition of India should stand his young test side in good stead. "We started well against India and we are wanting to build on that," Clarke said. "It is a really exciting time for this young side."

Where in the past the Australian side could rely on stand out individual performances from the likes of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, Clarke knows that his side will need to work together to get back to the top of the test rankings and he is confident that his team have the determination to succeed. "I can guarantee you it certainly won't be lack of work ethic that lets the Australian cricket team down" Clarke said.

Australia are currently behind South Africa and England in the test rankings and they will face both of these sides in the next year. Clarke knows that these series could define his time as captain of his country so he is keen to ensure that his team take care of the Proteas before worrying about the Ashes; "It's a really exciting 12-15 months, as big a time that I will have in my career” Clarke said.

"We have some really tough opposition in South Africa, the number one side in Test cricket, coming to Australia very soon and our main focus is on that," he added.
Australia’s first Test against South Africa begins in Brisbane on 9th November and if Michael Clarke can inspire his side to defy the cricket betting odds, then they could well take their first step towards regaining top spot.

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