Heir apparent Ponting gets the crown

He also announced that wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist had been appointed vice-captain.

Merriman said: “Given the strong public interest in the issue, we thought it would be prudent to avoid any unnecessary speculation and distraction throughout the summer by making this announcement today.”

Ponting, who replaced Waugh as Australian one-day skipper almost two years ago, said he was honoured to be given the job.

“The one-day captaincy has given me a valuable insight into the characteristics required to be a successful leader and I’m confident I can transfer these skills across to the Test arena,” he said.

Waugh, who announced on Wednesday he would be retiring after the four-Test series with India ends in January, said: “I’ve always regarded Ricky as an outstanding leader.

“He’s been a very good captain in one-day cricket and an impressive deputy at Test level..”

Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard said in a statement: “Ricky Ponting is a fine player whose great tactical understanding of the game will prove invaluable in his new challenge.” (Reuters)