Ricky Ponting hangs up his bat for good

THE dream is over. Ricky Ponting will not play in the Ashes series. In fact, he will never play competitive cricket in Australia again.

THE dream is over. Ricky Ponting will not play in the Ashes series. In fact, he will never play competitive cricket in Australia again.

While romantics and desperates had hoped he would return for the forthcoming series against England, the former captain was never a serious possibility of playing.

The news that he is to retire from all forms of the game will be a blow to the Big Bash tournament, which was hoping it could use him as a centrepiece of its competition, which will be broadcast live on Network Ten next summer.

The Melbourne Stars had been keen to lure Ponting away from Hobart, and Cricket Australia was certain to encourage that move with side deals to prop up the big-city franchise in the absence of Shane Warne.

He is not, however, lost to Australian cricket entirely and is understood to be considering a career in the commentary box - a decision on that could be announced as soon as today.

Ponting's potential decision to sit on that side of the glass also puts on hold any suggestion he could have joined the Australian team in a coaching capacity, although he told The Australian exclusively that he might look at such a role further down the track.

Ponting, who retired from international cricket last summer, continued to play at state and county level. He is currently in England with Surrey and will play in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League for the Antigua Hawksbills in August.

The champion batsman will be available for the Mumbai Indians in the Champions League before standing down from all forms.

When Ponting scored 192 on debut for Surrey last month there were calls for him to come back to Test cricket, but he made it clear that was a dream too far and his battered baggy green would not be making another appearance.

"While I'm enjoying my cricket as much as ever, it just feels like the right time to finish playing," the former Test captain said.

"My body and mind are in great shape and I know I'm going to really enjoy these last few months before the next stage of life begins."

While Ponting made an emotional exit from the Test arena, standing down allowed him to return home and play where he started his cricket, in Tasmania.

"To win the Sheffield Shield with Tasmania in my last game in Australia, played at Blundstone Arena, will forever be a memory close to my heart," Ponting said. "It's one of a lifetime of memories that will become even more special to me in retirement.

"I'm so grateful for the opportunities that the game of cricket has given to me."

Ponting, his wife Rianna and two children are moving to Melbourne later this year, which will allow him to pursue another of his great passions.

"I'll be able to spend more time with family and friends, play a lot more golf and see more of North Melbourne footy games," he said.

"Rianna and I will continue to build the work of the Ponting Foundation and, with more time on my hands, I'm intending on spending more time with children with cancer and their families."

Ponting hinted that he would be moving into the commentary box next summer.

"I'm considering a couple of options in the cricket media and I'm very fortunate to have a wonderful group of commercial partners that I will be continuing to work with," he said.

Ponting has been working on an autobiography that will be out in late October and is expected by the publishing industry to be the biggest cricket book of the Ashes summer.

The former captain received one of the biggest advances in sports publishing when he signed the deal some years before his retirement and will spend a lot of time on the circuit promoting the highly anticipated book.

Australian cricket has made no secret of the fact it is keen to use Ponting in some capacity and, with the team in disarray ahead of the Ashes, his knowledge and aura are in great demand.

The 38-year-old said he would consider a coaching job.

"I got a taste for the off-field demands of coaching, mentoring and leadership at Mumbai (2013 IPL). I'd like to do more of this in the future," he said.

Ponting scored more than 13,000 runs in both Tests and one-day internationals and is considered one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era.

On retirement he was given 41 bottles of Grange by Cricket Australia with the vintages matched to each of his 41 Test centuries.