Date:20/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/20/stories/2006042011052000.htm

Sport - Cricket

Gavaskar defends Ponting

Sydney: After being extremely critical of its bullying tactics in the past, Sunil Gavaskar said he is finally seeing some improvement in the on-field behaviour of the Australian team and came out in defence of skipper Ricky Ponting, who was fined for showing dissent towards umpires in the first Test against Bangladesh.

Gavaskar said he was pretty satisfied with the way the World Champions had conducted themselves.

``I think they're really much better than they were about four, five years ago. I think the Australians play their cricket hard and occasionally they go a bit over the top but their general behaviour has improved,'' Gavaskar was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying.

``I don't think there is any problem with Ricky at all. What happened on the first day was just one of those things,'' he added, referring to the incident when Ponting's intervention led to the reversal of the third umpire's decision in favour of the Aussies.

To the Board's credit

The Chairman of the ICC's cricket committee said the credit for the Aussies' improved behaviour must go to their board Cricket Australia, which according to him, has implemented strict rules to check their on-field actions.

``I don't think there's any reason to worry about the Australian team. They have improved since Cricket Australia implemented the spirit of cricket and they are much more aware of what is acceptable,'' he pointed out.

More support

Meanwhile, apart from Gavaskar, Ponting also found support from former England captain Tony Greig, who said there was nothing wrong in a captain asking for the review of an umpiring decision.

``The captain is the only guy allowed to go up and ask questions and they are getting frustrated,'' Greig was quoted by the Herald Sun as saying.

Joining the debate over Ponting being penalised for challenging the umpires' decision, the ICC's General Manager Dave Richardson has called for such a right being given to captains in one-day internationals.

Richardson has prepared a report, to be tabled at next month's ICC meeting, which endorses wider use of video replays and captains' right to challenge an umpire's decision in one-dayers. — Agencies