THERE are plenty of good reasons for players to wait to be tapped on the shoulder instead of calling full-time on their careers. Factors such as money, personal ambition and enjoyment, to name a few.

But does the desire to extend the ride that little bit longer risk tarnishing a great record?

Over the last 10 years some of Australia's greatest batsmen have struggled to accept it might be time to walk away. Circumstances differ in each situation but, statistically, only Steve Waugh improved his batting average in his final 10 Tests.

Ricky Ponting's hunger to play on seems strong and he claims to be unconcerned with statistics. But he, more than most of his contemporaries, has fallen away in the numbers game, individually at least.

Ponting's total of 47 Test wins as captain beats that of any of his predecessors. He has scored more Test runs than any Australian and more centuries. But in his last 10 Tests his 504 runs have come at an uncharacteristic average of 28. He recorded his last Test century in January 2010.

Waugh, another captain, faced criticism for some time, as Ponting is now, before announcing at the start of the 2003 that the summer would be his last as a player. His final 10 Tests reaped 908 runs, though a chunk of those came in four Tests against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Damien Martyn realised his demise was near, was not enjoying the experience and abruptly pulled the pin during the 2006 Ashes. Matthew Hayden, too, left the scene voluntarily after a run of poor form. His average in his last 10 Tests was little over half his career average.

Mark Waugh waited to be dropped before announcing his retirement. He went without a ton in his final 10 Tests and was replaced by Darren Lehmann, whose offer to retire so Michael Clarke could be brought in was rejected. Lehmann then found himself dropped during the 2004-05 series against Pakistan.

Adam Gilchrist retired with his reputation intact, securing an average nearing that of his career, while Justin Langer's dipped marginally before he decided to exit after the 2007 Ashes. He said: ''Everyone keeps saying, 'You'll know when it's time'. Well, at one o'clock two days ago I knew it was time - it just came to me.''

Ponting still awaits that moment.

with Matthew Trodden