Embattled he might be, but Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting on Wednesday rejected reports that he is planning to retire after his team's World Cup campaign, saying that he has not given a thought to the idea.
A London-based newspaper on Wednesday claimed that the 36-year-old batsman, who is struggling for runs in the ongoing event, would end his career after his team's campaign and look for a county stint in England.
But Ponting rejected the speculation ahead of the quarterfinal clash against India here tomorrow.
"I've never ever thought about retirement or where the finish line might be," Ponting said.
"I've been trying to prepare myself as best I can as a player and lead the team as well as possible. For some reason, these retirement things keep popping up all the time. As we all know, you probably shouldn't always believe everything you read in the newspaper," he was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Ponting's future is under a cloud due to the batting slump and Australia's decline both in Tests and ODIs.
The media Down Under is, in fact, abuzz with speculation that the feisty right-hander could even be sacked if the team fails to lift its fifth World Cup title.
{{/usCountry}}The media Down Under is, in fact, abuzz with speculation that the feisty right-hander could even be sacked if the team fails to lift its fifth World Cup title.
{{/usCountry}}But the man in question remained unfazed.
"It looks like every few weeks now I'm having to answer that question. I'm enjoying it as much as ever. We've got a big game coming up against India that I'm looking forward to, and more importantly I'm looking forward to getting out there and performing well as a player," he said.