Ricky Ponting has stood down as captain of the Australian cricket team and endorsed Michael Clarke as his successor.
But Ponting wants to continue his international career as a batsman in both Tests and ODIs and is even hopeful of pushing on for one more Ashes series in England in 2013.
The 36-year-old Tasmanian said he still had plenty to offer a young Australian side.
“I want to continue to lead by example both on and off the field,” Ponting told a media conference at the SCG on Tuesday.
“… I’m around for advice if needed.”
Ponting’s decision to stand down as skipper comes as Cricket Australia conducts a review in the wake of the Australian team’s poor performance in last summer’s home Ashes defeat.
But Ponting said it was his team’s exit in the quarter-finals of their World Cup defence last week that prompted his decision.
“The fact that we went out of the World Cup when we did was the main reason,” said Ponting, while denying he had been tapped on the shoulder by anyone at Cricket Australia.
“I thought the timing was spot on.”
Current deputy Clarke is expected to replace Ponting as skipper of the Test and one-day teams.
“Absolutely. I totally think that’s the way it’ll go,” said Ponting.
“I totally would endorse Michael Clarke as captain.”
Ponting appears certain to be named on Wednesday in a Clarke-led Australian team selected for next month’s ODI tour to Bangladesh.
Ponting captained Australia in 77 Test matches for 48 wins – the most of any Test skipper – 16 losses and 13 draws.
His 227 one-day matches in charge returned 163 wins, 50 losses and two World Cups.
While Ponting’s at-times abrasive nature did polarise opinions, he was confident of how he would be remembered in the sport.
“I know within myself, my teammates know and everyone at Cricket Australia knows what I’ve been able to achieve in the game and that’s something I’m very proud of,” he said.
Ponting has spent the vast majority of his career batting at No.3 and believed it was still his best position in the order.
“I still believe it is but we’ll wait and see what the next captain has got to say about that,” he said.
Following a recent lean stretch with the bat, Ponting became tetchy during Australia’s failed World Cup defence.
Twice, Ponting apologised for, he says inadvertently, damaging a dressing room television and his reaction to colliding with teammate Steve Smith when taking a catch.
But the Tasmanian ended his run drought in the quarter-final with a stellar century as his side lost to India.
