Ricky Ponting's fall, no matter how disappointing it was, came at the back of a sparkling 17-year career that saw him lead Australia to some of the greatest triumphs in the history of the game. Here is a look at how his career unfolded.

February 15, 1995: Ponting makes his one-day international debut at the age of 20 and scores 1 against South Africa in Wellington.

January 9, 1996: Scores his first ODI century, 123 against Sri Lanka in the tri-series at the MCG.

February-March, 1996: Plays in the first of his five World Cups. Scores a century against West Indies in Jaipur and 45 in the final loss to Sri Lanka in Lahore, and finishes second to Mark Waugh on Australia's run tally.

December 1997-January 1998: Tops the run tally in the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand with 462 at 57.75 and helps Australia win the tournament with 76 in the third final. It is his best tally in a series excluding World Cups.

May-June 1999: Plays in his first World Cup triumph. Is a consistent contributor without posting a defining score. Finishes with 354 runs at 39.33 but only one half-century: against South Africa, in the match when Steve Waugh supposedly told Herschelle Gibbs he had dropped the World Cup.

February 2002: Succeeds Steve Waugh as Australia's ODI captain. His first series in charge is on a tour of South Africa. Australia win the series 5-1 and Ponting tops Australia's run tally with 283 at 47.16. He is named Player of the Series.

February-March 2003: Leads Australia's successful World Cup campaign in South Africa. His score of 140 not out in the final against India is the defining innings of his ODI career.

January 10, 2005: Captains the ICC World XI to a comprehensive victory over the Asia XI in the Tsunami Appeal one-day international at the MCG. Scores 115 and is named Man of the Match.

October 2005: Captains Australia to a 3-0 victory over the ICC World XI in the Super Series.

March 12, 2006: Makes his highest ODI score, a breathtaking 164 from 105 balls in Johannesburg. But his innings is quickly overshadowed: South Africa chase down Australia's 434 for 4 in what is arguably the most remarkable one-day international of all time.

November 2006: Leads Australia to Champions Trophy glory in India, thereby winning the only competition that had eluded Australia so far.

January-February 2007: Follows Australia's Ashes whitewash by being named Player of the Series in the three-team Commonwealth Bank Series, but England win the tournament.

March-April 2007: Leads Australia to a hat-trick of World Cup wins, his second as captain, with an undefeated run during the competition in the West Indies. Finishes third on the tournament run tally behind Matthew Hayden and Mahela Jayawardene with 539 at 67.37.

September 2009: Arrives in South Africa after a disappointing tour of England and successfully leads Australia to another Champions Trophy triumph. Ponting is named Player of the Series for his 288 runs at 72.00.

February 2010: Earns his final Player-of-the-Series title in Australia's 4-0 win at home over West Indies, having scored 295 runs at 73.75.

March 19, 2011: Ponting's 34-match unbeaten streak in World Cups is brought to an end as Pakistan win by four wickets in Colombo.

March 24, 2011: India prevail in an exciting quarter-final in Ahmedabad, knocking out Australia but Ponting overcomes a poor run and criticism about his captaincy to score a determined century. It is his last ODI hundred.

March 29, 2011: Amid increasing pressure, Ponting steps down as Australia's Test and ODI captain but makes himself available for selection with an intention to play on.

February 20, 2012: Is dropped from Australia's one-day squad after five consecutive single-figure scores in the Commonwealth Bank Series. Finishes with 375 ODIs and 13,704 runs to his name.