Ricky Ponting in my opinion is the greatest batsman of his generation along with Brian Lara. At his best he did not just score runs but scored them at such a pace that took the opposition out of the game. His 140 in world cup finals is an innings that none of his contemporary greats have come close to matching. And he will retire as a cricketer who has achieved more than anyone else in the history of the game. 3 world cups to his credit with 2 as captain. He is also one of the greatest fielders in the history of the game and one hell of a competitor, will be missed greatly. This for me is truly the end of an era.