Will PONTING spark a RETIREMENT rush?

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting's decision to retire could be the start of an exodus of other batting greats, including Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

With all the leading run-getters in Test cricket in the 35-plus age bracket, the next few years seem set to witness a host of retirements that will leave the game short of batting class and experience.

Ponting, who turns 38 next month, starts his 168th and last Test against South Africa Friday and Tendulkar, who is without a Test century since early last year and will be 40 in April, appears to be next in line to call it quits. Kallis, West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene are also in the autumn of their careers, despite showing terrific form of late.

The slim Guyanese lies third in the individual Test rankings behind Australian captain Michael Clarke and Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka, and is a rock-solid pillar in the otherwise fragile West Indies line-up.

The Sri Lankan duo of Jayawardene and Sangakkara, both aged 35, head to Australia in December for a three-Test series with no immediate signs of fading away from the scene. Jayawardene continues to lead Sri Lanka with distinction in h is second stint as captain, while Sangakkara was this year named the International Cricket Council's player of the year.

AFP