Next few days crucial to my future - Ponting

Ricky Ponting faces several days of introspection and decision-making after returning home from his team's deflating World Cup defence.

While still stressing his desire to continue as both a leader and a player, Ponting admitted he will have to weigh up the value of doing so following a galling six months, in which a dreadful Ashes reverse was compounded by the limited-overs team's failure to advance beyond their first knockout match on the subcontinent.

Despite an admirable century in Australia's quarter-final loss to India in Motera, Ponting's place will still be deliberated over by the national selectors ahead of their announcement of a team to tour Bangladesh for three limited overs matches next month.

"The last couple of weeks there's been a few differing opinions out in the papers and out in the news about me and my future as leading the team," Ponting told reporters at Sydney airport. "It's been nice the last week especially to hear some endorsement from Cricket Australia (CA) and the selectors about that position.

"But that's where the next few days are crucial to me as well. I have to really decide what I think is right for me and the team going forward. I still think I've got a lot to offer the team as a player and a leader."

Should he keep playing both forms of the game to which he is still committed, Ponting's path beyond Bangladesh will include tough tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa, before a home summer that takes in series against New Zealand and India.

At 36, Ponting believes he can still enjoy the type of renaissance that has sustained Sachin Tendulkar in recent times, but that may entail a drop down the batting order and also his abdication from the captaincy.

"If that is what they and I believe is the best way forward for Australian cricket, that's the way it has always been," Ponting said of such changes. "Whatever I have done in the role to this date has always been with Cricket Australia backing - it is not as though I pick myself as captain. I am picked as captain every tour we have been on for the past six or seven years and thoroughly enjoyed that.

"But if there is someone out there better and more suited to the role than me right now then I have no problems at all about that."

Glancing towards Bangladesh, Ponting was adamant in his enthusiasm for the sort of tour he might have been rested from in earlier years. "I will go to Bangladesh if selected, the team hasn't been picked yet, and I will look forward to that tour then have a decent break after that to prepare for Sri Lanka and South Africa and the Australian summer.

"As I have said for a number of months now I have never seen a finish line, I have never come up with a time or a date or a game that might be my last. What I want to do is focus my time and energies to be the best player I can be.

"I will know the right time for me not to be playing but I haven't found that time just yet; I guess with making runs in this last game and getting that good feeling back about my batting again might be the kick start for a bit of a Tendulkar-type rebirth if you like."

Given the commencement of a new rankings cycle with the Bangladesh series, Ponting doubted too many first-choice players would be rested. "I don't think we will be sending a second string team there. The feeling I have got at the moment is hopefully we will be sending our best team to win that series, and win it comfortably."