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Under fire, but still there: Ricky Ponting. (AFP)
Ahmedabad - Besieged Australia captain Ricky Ponting denied on Wednesday he plans to quit international cricket amid reports he was ready to walk away.
The 36-year-old Ponting, who has been under intense pressure since the Ashes defeat, as well as for his controversial behaviour at the World Cup, said international retirement had never crossed his mind.Earlier Wednesday, Britain's Daily Mail reported he planned to retire from the international scene at the end of World Cup and finish his career at an English county.
"There's been some stuff written about me retiring after the World Cup. That's completely false," Ponting said at the Sardar Patel Stadium where defending champions Australia face India in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
"I've never even thought about or contemplated retiring at the end of this World Cup. I'm enjoying my cricket as much as ever. Whatever you've read, don't worry too much about that.
"You'll hopefully see me playing a lot in the next few years."
Ponting, who has been captain for nine years, was under pressure even before the World Cup, having earned the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper of the modern era to fail to win the Ashes three times.
He has done himself no favours in India, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out during Australia's win over Zimbabwe.
He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with teammate Steven Smith during their victory over Canada, and for failing to walk in Saturday's defeat to Pakistan.
Ponting admitted he had pondered a spell in English county cricket.
"I looked at trying to play some county cricket before the Sri Lankan tour this year, for the fact that I would have been coming off three months of no cricket and I thought we were going straight in to Test matches," he said.
"That's why my management had a look around a few of the counties to see if they were interested. As it worked out, our programs just didn't line up."
The retirement rumour came a day after a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, in which an unnamed Cricket Australia official was quoted as saying that Ponting faced a challenge at board level to retain the captaincy.
Ponting said he was keen to play on in Test and ODI cricket and if he was asked to step aside as leader to make way for Michael Clarke, it would not be an issue.
Earlier, Australian Cricketers' Association chief Paul Marsh lashed out at talk that Ponting could be axed.
"Firstly, if a senior official is going to make such inflammatory comments about our national captain, and one of this country's greatest-ever players, how about having the guts to at least put your name to them," Marsh told the Herald.
"Secondly, the team is days away from one of its biggest games in recent memory and now they have to deal with the speculation and discussion surrounding these irresponsible comments.
"I've been scratching my head all day trying to work out why someone associated with CA would make these comments two days before a World Cup quarter-final."
