Emotion flows as Ponting calls time

THERE wasn’t a dry eye at the Australian team hotel yesterday when Ricky Ponting told teammates that he was retiring from test cricket.

Ponting will play his 168th and final test today against South Africa in Perth – the same venue where he made his debut against Sri Lanka in December 1995.

Ponting’s final appearance will equal Steve Waugh’s mark for the most tests by an Australian. The former Australian captain, the highest Australian run-scorer of all time, with 13,336 test runs, said the decision was his own and insisted that he wasn’t pushed by the selectors.

Ponting’s wife, Rianna, and daughters Emmy and Mattise, as well as Australian team-mates, coach Mickey Arthur and chief selector John Inverarity, were present as the greatest Australian batsman since Don Bradman made his announcement public.

He held things together in front of the media in Perth but the normally stoic Ponting, 38 next month, said he was emotional when he talked to his team-mates. ‘‘I tried to say a lot but I didn’t get much out.’’

Asked what the atmosphere was like in the room when Ponting addressed the team, captain Michael Clarke wasn’t able to finish his answer. ‘‘No, I didn’t have the feeling it was coming,’’ he said. ‘‘The boys are obviously hurting at the moment. He’s been an amazing player for a long time.’’

Clarke then paused for more than 10 seconds and, fighting back tears, said: ‘‘And that’ll do me for today. Sorry, I can’t answer that.’’