LONDON, (Reuters) – Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting will retire from all cricket after playing in the Champions League in October, he said yesterday.
Ponting, 38, who announced his retirement from international cricket in November last year, is currently playing for English county Surrey.
He will end his glittering career after featuring for the Mumbai Indians, his Indian Premier League franchise, in the Champions League.
“While I’m enjoying my cricket as much as ever, it just feels like the right time to finish playing,” Ponting told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper, for whom he will write a regular column during the forthcoming England v Australia Ashes test series.
“My body and mind are in great shape and I know I’m going to really enjoy these last few months before the next stage of life begins.”
Ponting scored 13,378 runs in 168 tests – the second highest haul in the long history of the game.
He stood down from the captaincy in 2011 and retired from one-day cricket in February 2012 before calling time on his test career nearly seven months ago.
Since then he has carried on playing, helping Tasmania win the Sheffield Shield in March.
“To win the Sheffield Shield with Tasmania in my last game in Australia played at Blundstone Arena, will forever be a memory close to my heart,” he said.
“It’s one of a lifetime of memories that will become even more special to me in retirement.”
He will continue playing for Surrey until late July before heading to compete in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League with Antigua Hawksbills and then finishing off in the Champions League.
He said he was considering a couple of cricket media opportunities as his next career move but was also relishing the prospect of doing more charity work and being with his family.
“I’m excited about what lies ahead,” he said. “We are moving to Melbourne which will be like a new beginning as a family leading a more normal life.
“I’ll be able to spend more time with family and friends, play a lot more golf and see more of North Melbourne footy games.”
