Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke has praised Ricky Ponting as an "amazing player" after his predecessor announced he was retiring from all forms of cricket in October.
Clarke praises retiring Ponting
Clarke, speaking at an Ashes promotional event on the Thames river, also dismissed suggestions Ponting could have been a last-minute addition to the Aussie squad.
"He's been an amazing player there's no doubt about it and (he's) done so much for the game of cricket," Clarke said after Ponting's announcement.
But asked if he'd liked to have had the former captain in the Ashes side Clarke said: "No. He retired from the Australian cricket team. We've got a new team here and we are looking forward to this series."
Ponting quit international cricket after the Perth Test against South Africa last December but continued playing with Tasmania, IPL club the Mumbai Indians and Surrey in English cricket.
The former Test great has now revealed he'll give the game away completely after turning out for Mumbai in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in October.
There were suggestions Ponting should be recalled for one final hurrah in the Ashes but the 38-year-old says he feels his time is up.
"While I'm enjoying my cricket as much as ever, it just feels like the right time to finish playing," Ponting told reporters in England.
"My body and mind are in great shape and I know Im going to really enjoy these last few months before the next stage of life begins."
Ponting said winning the Sheffield Shield with Tasmania last summer was the perfect way to farewell Australian fans.
"It's one of a lifetime of memories that will become even more special to me in retirement," he said.
"I'm so grateful for the opportunities that the game of cricket has given to me."
Ponting retires as the second highest run scorer in Test history, with 13,378 runs in 168 matches over 17 years of international cricket.
He made 41 Test centuries and 30 ODI hundreds since debuting in 1995.
Australia opening batsman Chris Rogers on Thursday praised Ponting as "one of the best if not the best".
"He sets standards that the rest of us have to follow," Rogers told reporters on a mini-cricket pitch set up on a barge near the Tower Bridge in London.
"To play against him even this year (in county cricket) and watch him dominate shows what a fabulous player he is and I've got nothing but huge respect for him."
Ponting said he's considering career options in the cricket media as well as pursuing commercial opportunities.
He plans to spend more time with his family, on the golf course and watching North Melbourne in the AFL.