20 Feb 2012

Ponting dropped from one-day cricket side

7:26 pm on 20 February 2012

Ex-skipper Ricky Ponting has been dropped from Australia's one-day cricket side after a poor run of form in the first five matches of the tri-series.

The 37-year-old's one-day career could now be over after scoring 18 runs at an average of 3.6 in the series against India and Sri Lanka.

Captain Michael Clarke has returned to the squad following a minor hamstring complaint while star allrounder Shane Watson has been included for the first time this season after overcoming hamstring and calf complaints.

Pace bowler Ryan Harris, who was rested from Sunday's win over India at the Gabba, is back for left-armer Mitchell Starc.

Chairman of selectors John Inverarity says 375-game veteran Ponting has an outstanding record in the one-day arena and the team won't seem the same without him.

But he says moving on from the omission of players who have been outstanding over a long period of time is the nature of elite sport.

Clarke's one-day side have three wins from their five matches and lead the table on 14 points, four points ahead of India and seven points clear of Sri Lanka who've played only four matches.