Ricky Ponting's days numbered if he loses to India in World Cup: Media report

Cricket writer Peter Roebuck has said that Ricky Ponting's future will be at stake if he loses today's quarter-final against India.

"Ponting is 36 years old, has been struggling for runs all season and his team has been losing. It is not and has never been a reassuring combination. Meanwhile, his proposed successor looks more like the next leader with every passing week and the next generation of batsmen has been scoring heavily, not least in the recent Shield final," Roebuck says in an article for the Sydney Morning Herald.

"All good things come to an end. All the evidence indicates that the Australian captain has passed his peak as a batsman. Although he remains dedicated and courageous, never ducking a challenge and seldom a bumper, his reflexes seem to have slowed and his footwork lacks the precision and pace seen in his best days," he adds.

"If Australia are eliminated - and rest assured the Indians are as unhappy with the draw as their opponents - then the debate will begin. The only reason it has not been raised already is that the Australians are in the middle of an important campaign and such matters are distractions," Roebuck says.

"Ponting had led his team to two World Cup triumphs and certainly deserves the chance to break the record. Even in victory, though, Ponting might be wise to consider his position," Roebuck says.

"Only winning the World Cup and scoring heavily in these final rounds would change the equation. Then the Tasmanian would be given a licence granted to few players in any sport - the ability to dictate his own passing," he concludes.