Ponting among worst serial offenders on a cricket field

Australia captain among worst serial offenders on a cricket field, according to an ICC list

Ponting among worst serial offenders on a cricket field

According to an ICC official list, Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who was involved in the infamous spat with the touring Indian team in 2007, is among the world's serial offenders of its code of good conduct.

The data, obtained by an Australian newspaper shows Ponting has been captain of his team during more team offences over the past 18 years than his predecessors Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor.

Ponting and former pace bowler Glenn McGrath are Australia's "bad boys", each breaching the ICC's code six times.

Since ICC introduced its behavioural rules in 1992, Ponting has been fined more than Aus$25,000 (approx Rs 10 lakh). Of his six breaches, four related to dissent with umpires.

Australia has amassed 18 separate codes of conduct breaches, which is double the number under Taylor's captaincy between 1992 and 1999.

With Australian cricket fans incensed over the team's deplorable behaviour during the recent Perth Test against the West Indies, which saw three of their players u2014 Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson u2014 fined for different misdemeanours (Doug Bollinger was reprimanded in the previous Test at Adelaide), Taylor has called for Ponting to improve his on-field behaviour.

"I just think the Australians could be a bit more pro-active in trying to nip these things in the bud rather than letting things escalate", said Taylor, who had a hundred per cent clean disciplinary record during his 50 Tests as captain.

"To be fair to Ricky, it's not always easy. It can be hard to control a situation if you are not out in the middle and two of your batsmen are in the heat of battle.

"But as captain you have to make an honest appraisal of whether your players are closing to crossing the line."

Saying he admitted 34-year old Ponting's competitive spirit, Taylor felt the captain needed to work on his relationship with umpires and rival captains.

"There are certain players who are more likely to get caught up in banter," Taylor said.

"Ricky and I are different characters. He is a tough character and right from the word go, he plays the game hard.

"He's a fighter, he fights for every inch on the field, but it can get him trouble, particularly when he's dealing with umpires. That's what he can work on.

"We saw a coupe of incidents in Perth and they weren't great.

"It's incumbent upon all sides to play within the spirit of cricket. Again you need to think objectively, think a bit from the opposition's point of view u2014 not just your own"

Former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg, himself no epitome of good behaviour in his playing days, said: "It must be hard for Ricky to lecture blokes about behaviour given his record.u00a0

"The way Watson carried on was a bit degrading towards an opposing captain," Hogg said in a reference to Shane Watson's excessive show of emotion after dismissing West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

However, former wicketkeeper Steve Rixon defended Ponting saying the captain was merely carrying on the tradition of tough Australian captains.

"Let's not lose total perspective," Rixon said. "I think it's healthy to see sides fighting for what they get.

"We need to pull our horns in a bit, but we don't want to lose the competitive spirit that makes Test cricket s great."

POSTSCRIPT: Meanwhile, legendary Australian batsman Neil Harvey has criticised Ricky Ponting for continuing to wear his frayed and faded baggy Australian green cap.

Urging the captain to replace his tattered cap, Harvey said: "It's absolutely disgraceful the state of his hat."

However, long-time manager Steve Bernard, who has presided over presentations to 38 Test debutants since the practice was started in 1998, says the decision to get it repaired by Albion, the manufacturers, rests entirely with the captain.

Whereas previously the Australian cap was presented to team members at the start of every new series, it is now presented just once u2014 on debut.

Bernard said the wear and tear from 140 test matches has left a giant split in the fabric across the peak, like "crocodile jaws".

Ponting's predecessor Steve Waugh's cap was similarly frayed towards the end of his 150-plus Test career. He wore it proudly without getting it restored.

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