Australia wouldn't walk off in a Test

Australia would never follow Pakistan's lead and refuse to play out a Test match, according to the coach John Buchanan. "We have never done it in the past and I can't see any reason why we would want to do it in the future," he told AAP.

"We play the game pretty aggressively, but I think we always play it within the rules and the spirit of the game. So I don't think that would be part of what we'd be wanting to do."

Inzamam-ul-Haq will appear at an ICC hearing to answer charges of bringing the game into disrepute and changing the condition of the ball during the fourth Test against England at The Oval on Sunday. Buchanan hoped the situation was sorted out swiftly as a drawn-out investigation would further damage the game. "I don't think it would do cricket any good and it obviously needs to be resolved and a way forward be found, that's certainly in their hands," he said.

Ricky Ponting said Inzamam might not be the man to blame. He believes the coach Bob Woolmer and the Pakistani team manager may have sparked the protest once the players returned to the pavilion after being docked the five-run penalty. "Who knows how I'd handle it and how the Australian cricket team would handle it in that situation," he said, "but you'd like to think that we'd be able to do the right thing by the game and by everybody concerned."

Justin Langer said Sunday was a particularly sad day in Test cricket's history. "As Donald Bradman said, we're all custodians of the game and we want to leave it in better shape," he said. "Games like that getting forfeited, we're probably not leaving it in better shape than we first got into it."