Hordes of critics baying for his blood would not be denied.
The World Cup loss to India, in the quarters, was the final straw.
Much as Ricky Ponting would have liked to take the terminal blow on his chin—like a man—he would be first to admit that multiple body blows over the past few months had left him with more than just a bloody, broken finger.
It made him vulnerable—never a happy state of affairs for an Australian captain.