Ponting quits short game to stay in the big games
The Age
Tuesday September 8, 2009
RICKY Ponting's commitment and desire to avenge Australia's recent Ashes defeat, and lead his team to victory in England in 2013, was behind his decision to be selective with what form of the game he will play in coming years.In announcing yesterday he was immediately retiring from international Twenty20 cricket, Ponting had effectively taken the stance that he no longer wants to jeopardise his Test and one-day form, by overplaying his cricket.His decision continues the fragmentation of international cricket, as players begin to pick which forms of the game they want to play in cricket's ever burgeoning calendar.Apart from Ponting's move, England's star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff quit the Test arena after the Ashes series, and West Indies captain Chris Gayle has described Test cricket as a chore.The schedule has been almost farcical for some of the Australian players, with, for example, Michael Clarke, having played a full summer at home, he then went to South Africa for the Test series, then to the United Arab Emirates for a one-day and Twenty20 series with Pakistan, then back home for a two-week camp in Brisbane, then to England for Twenty20 World Cup in June, followed by the Ashes, two washed-out Twenty20 games, seven one-dayers, then the Champions Trophy in South Africa, finally arriving home in the first week of October."The decision I've made is all to do with my longevity in the game," Ponting said. "I'm really passionate and committed to being the best player I can be for Australia for as long as possible and over the last couple of years I've found it increasingly difficult to play all three forms of the game at the level I want to play."Within the next 12 months alone I probably look at having an extra four weeks off, which will give me an opportunity just to get away and make sure I'm ready to go for both the Test matches and one-day cricket we have ahead of us in that period of time."I want to play well for Australia for as long as I can. Having returned from England with the taste in my mouth that I had, I was very keen to be able to give it every possible crack to be able to get back there again and this decision now is certainly a big part of giving myself the best chance to achieve that."When quizzed on whether something should be looked at in terms of the bulging calendar, Ponting said "everybody has been looking at it for a number of years", but it has become so difficult as Twenty20 becomes so big around the world."There's not much we can do about it, it's about finding ways and means as a team and as individual players to get through each game and each tournament the best way you possibly can," he said."I think the authorities are starting to look at it [the calendar] very closely now because I think sometimes it can actually have an adverse effect on the game, because the public can get a little bit sick of the game if it's overplayed."Ponting returned to Australia after the final Test, missing two washed-out Twenty20 games, and he will also miss the first three one-dayers. He flew back to the England yesterday, and will play in the final four one-dayers, then the Champions Trophy.He will fulfil his last year of his contract with the Kolkata Knightriders in the Indian Premier League, and added he had not considered retiring from the one-dayers."No, I didn't come close," he said. "I'm ultra committed to playing as much cricket as I can for Australia in the next few years. Four extra weeks away will give me the chance to be physically and mentally fresh for 50-over and Test cricket for the next few years."
© 2009 The Age
Share This