Fondly known as "Punter", his captaincy record is impressive except that he could not retain the Ashes more than once and that led to his ouster soon after the last series against England in Australia, paving the way for Michael Clarke.
"The decision was based on my results. In this series so far they have not been up to the level required of players in the Australian team. I'm glad I have got the opportunity to finish on my terms," added Ponting, who led Australia to two World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007.
Commenting on his predecessor skipper Clarke broke down and said, "I didn't have a feeling it was coming. Ricky spoke to me after the Adelaide Test match, he'd made his decision over the last few days. The boys are obviously hurt. He's been an amazing player for a long time."
