Ponting disappointed at Martyn's decision by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Player:

RT Ponting, DR Martyn

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DateLine: 13th December 2006

 

Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Tuesday admitted to being disappointed by the timing of veteran batsman Damien Martyn's shock retirement from international cricket.

 

Martyn stunned the entire cricket community, not least his Australian teammates, when he quit the game on the eve of the third Ashes Test. He did so on the morning he was to be announced in the squad for the match, his home Test.

 

Speaking as his side prepared for the third Test, Ponting said he would have liked for Martyn to at least play a farewell Test at home. "When I sat back and digested that he had retired, I thought why didn't he give it one more week," Ponting said. "He would have had a home Test match and the chance for us to win the Ashes in this Test was there. I guess it was the timing that was the real big surprise for me. I am really shocked and surprised. I am as close to Marto as any of the guys in the team and I didn't see it coming."

 

Martyn is believed to be on holiday in Hawaii with his wife and Ponting said he had been hard to contact since the announcement. "We have all tried to be in contact with him as much as we can over the past few days, but he has been pretty aloof," he said. "He will talk to us after the game, he doesn't want to get in the road at the moment. He wanted to do the right thing by the team and get away and not have the spotlight on the team."

 

Ponting pondered if the mounting pressure on Martyn to retain his berth, with speculation Shane Watson would replace him as soon as the all-rounder was fit, had got to his good mate.

 

"He probably didn't make the runs he would have liked in the first two games," he said. "Knowing Marto he would have put a lot of extra pressure on himself."

 

The 35-year-old Martyn has not spoken publicly since his decision. His only statement on his retirement came in a letter, which was later revealed as prepared by Australian radio personality Alan Jones. Those close to Martyn believe his passion for the game had been on the wane for some time. But the bizarre timing of his departure continues to provoke discussion, with the Australians close to regaining the Ashes from England. The third Test is to be played at the WACA Ground, where Martyn played so much cricket for Western Australia.

 

The World Cup also loomed for Martyn after his Champions Trophy heroics in India, and there was huge financial incentive for the right-hander to squeeze another six months of international cricket into his tired body.