Ponting: I retired two years too late

Former Australia batsman Ricky Ponting feels he should probably have stopped playing professionally about two years before he actually retired, but had hoped to guide younger players.

Former Australia batsman Ricky Ponting feels he should probably have stopped playing professionally about two years before he actually retired, but had hoped to guide younger players.

Ponting retired from international cricket at the end of 2012, and a year later from all cricket. Upon retirement, though his later years were not as impressive, he still averaged 51.85 over 168 Tests.

Punter was the elder statesman of the Australia side when he left, light years ahead of everyone else in experience, and had wanted to be a mentor for the players coming into the team, both with the national side and with his Shield and County teams.

Ponting told <i>Sky Sports</i>: "I probably played two years longer than I should have done. I think I knew in myself that I couldn't get better.

"I felt that if anything, I could maintain a certain level. I think from 120, 130 Tests I knew I could not get any better.

"I wasn't playing for me, I was playing for the younger guys in the team. Great teams that I played in had a really good solid core of experienced players and great characters.

"I might be patting myself on the back here, but I thought I was one of those players."

After retiring from Oz, he played for Surrey in England, in the Big Bash League, in the Caribbean Premier League and in the IPL for Mumbai.

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