Ponting, 37 next month, has now gone 27 Test innings without a ton and is in serious danger of being axed ahead of Australia's first home Test against New Zealand at the Gabba on 1 December.

From his past 13 Test innings, dating back to the Ashes last December, Ponting has made 184 runs at an average of 14.15. In that time, he has no half-century but recorded three ducks and seven single-figure scores.

Former wicket-keeper Ian Healy believes that without something special from Ponting in the second innings of the ongoing second Test in Johannesburg, he should retire.

'That's what I hope happens, but watching him last night he's double guessing where he thinks the ball might go, he's double guessing where he wants the ball to go,' Healy said.

'There are faults that have never been in his technique before and I don't like his statistics from the past 12 months. No one who has played for as long as he has should be averaging in the teens.

'I think it's a pretty easy decision. He's been on the wane for some time now and without something special, it's time for Ricky to say, 'I'm finishing',' Healy was quoted as saying by Daily Telegraph.

Former captain Allan Border, however, has rallied behind Ponting, urging him to bat on despite pressure on him to draw the curtain on his glittering career.

Currently in South Africa commentating for local network SuperSport, Border refused to comment publicly due to contractual commitments.

But, privately, he believes Ponting should dig his heels in, convinced he has more to offer the national team, the newspaper said.

Former captain Kim Hughes is also worried about Ponting's technical problems but believes that the struggling Australian team would be worse without him.

'He's got a severe technical fault, which happens when people lose confidence. He gets so far over to the offside ... because of his head balance he's trying to take balls on middle stump through square leg. You're not going to survive,' Hughes said.

'The Australian side at the moment looks pretty vulnerable. There's a new captain, the opening partnership is still uncertain, Usman Khawaja is a new boy who has just come in. With doubts about Marsh's fitness, irrespective of whether he (Ponting) gets runs in the second innings or not, I'd give him a game against New Zealand at home on truer wickets.

'With the confidence of spending time in the middle, he (Ponting) might overcome them (technical flaws). He's keen, he's enthusiastic, he adds a lot to the side with his training attitude.'

Former England captain Tony Greig said that Ponting is still in the best in the Australian team.

'I suspect Ponting will go into the new summer in Australia regardless of what happens in this Test,' Greig said.

'If it keeps going wrong they have to look at somebody else, but is there someone who has made four (first-class) hundreds in a row and deserves to step into that position?'