Ricky Ponting: "What can you do about it if the authorities aren't going to do anything?" © Getty Images Enlarge

Ricky Ponting claims Sreesanth "chirped" at up to five Australian batsmen while he was 12th man in the fourth ODI and the captain is disappointed match officials have not taken action. Sreesanth denied he had clapped in the face of Andrew Symonds after he was dismissed in Chandigarh, but Ponting outlined more of the strange antics from a player not involved in the match.

"It was disappointing the other day to see that happening," Ponting said in the Sydney Morning Herald. "He chirped me on the way out to bat, as well. When I got a chance to ask him about it when he ran a drink out later on, he ran away and said he wasn't talking to me at all. He said he was talking to someone else."

Ponting said Sreesanth's comments came when he was passing Australian batsmen who were coming off the ground. "It happened probably four or five times the other day when we lost wickets," he said. "But what can you do about it if the authorities aren't going to do anything about it?"

Chris Broad, the match referee, has said he was unaware of any incident involving Sreesanth and Ponting warned the bowler about his behaviour backfiring. "He is doing it for a purpose because he wants a response and we are all aware of it," Ponting told AAP. "I don't mind it because generally when our guys get their backs up about something like that, generally our best cricket comes out.

"The thing that disappointed us most about it the other day was that it was someone who was not playing the game, so you don't have any chance to get revenge on him during the game. As we have said all along, we have a few months of cricket left to play against these guys and he is well ... if he does actually get picked again, be a big part of that."