Ponting bids adieu to the one-day bash

But the hunger for Test cricket still remains:

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from Australia

It is said that all good things must come to an end. And this saying rang true for former Australian Captain Ricky Ponting when he decided to quit the limited versions of the game.

Ponting, who had a poor run in the current Commonwealth Bank Tri Series, was dropped from the squad and at a press conference announced that he was quitting the limited over game, but was emphatic that he would still be available to play Test cricket, which is what the game is all about. Contributing to Pontings's quitting the limited overs game, were two Sri Lankan bowlers, Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof. In the first game of the current series Malinga had him Leg Before Wicket and

Mahroof tempting him to return a catch deceiving him with a slower ball.

At the press conference Ponting said that Chief Selector John Inverarity had made it clear to him that the direction that Cricket Australia was heading with the one day team and that he was not part of that plan.

Ponting mentioned that he does not intend playing one-day international cricket for Australia any more. Ponting during his chequered one-day career led Australia to two World Cups and also played in a team thaw n a World Cup.

He scored 13,704 one-day runs second only to India's Sachin Tendulkar.

But the 37 year old great batsman will not be lost to cricket altogether. He still has the hunger and will continue playing the longer version of the game for his state Tasmania, hope to regain his lost form and score a lot of runs and nudge the selectors for Test spot. Probably it was too much cricket this summer for Ponting. He scored heavily against India in the Four Test series where he even scored a double hundred and probably it would have been fatigue that led to his sudden reversal into a run drought.

In the absence of regular skipper Michael Clarke who was sidelined with a hamstring strain, Ponting led Australia in two games against Sri Lank and India.

In the game in Sydney, Sri Lanka thrashed Australia by 8 wickets. Ponting compensated somewhat when Australia beat India by 110 in Brisbane.

Brisbane, Tuesday