Ponting playing

         

      Ponting was expected to make the 2013 season his last, but on Tuesday insisted he will continue to represent the Tigers, shortly after they won the Sheffield Shield in Hobart.The 38-year-old veteran, second only to India's Sachin Tendulkar in Test cricket's highest run-scorers, will play for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, Surrey on the English county circuit and one of the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament's teams for the remainder of 2013. I've told Tasmanian cricket this week that I'm really keen to play on again next year. But in the same breath, I've also told them not to contract me," said Ponting, who topped the contest's run-scoring list and was consequently named State Cricketer of the Year.It has been a special time in my career, the last few months, to come back around these boys and feel like you're having a bit of an influence over the way they're playing their cricket. I love the culture and I wanted to give as much back as I could to Tasmanian cricket," he concluded.I don't want to take a contract spot and pull out at the last minute. If I get through the (Australian) winter really well and I'm still keen to play again next year, then I'll obviously go around again.