Mandatory ball change annoys Ponting

Ricky Ponting has urged the ICC to reconsider the new rule that forces a ball change after the 34th over in ODIs. Ponting believes the early change gives the batsmen too much assistance and replacing the ball later in the innings would be more sensible.

"It's a very big advantage for the batting team to get a new, harder ball that early in the innings," Ponting told AFP. "They should try this rule somewhere else before trying at the international level because some day something like this is going to cost a team a game and that could well be the difference in a series.

"It's unfair on a team that does everything right. I think the commonsense [solution] would be to change the ball after the 41st over." Earlier this series Ponting called the mandatory change "fine" but criticised the umpires' decision to switch balls in the 28th over of India's run chase at Hyderabad and again at the pre-determined point seven overs later.

Brett Lee believes the new rule makes the already difficult task for bowlers in ODIs even tougher. "The newer balls we've been using have been pretty shiny and still have the Kookaburra writing on them," Lee said. "It makes it harder for the bowlers because you're trying to work with a ball that is as old as possible and you come on at the 34th over and you're bowling with a new ball again."

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, said run-rates were escalating after the balls were switched. "We've been going on at four or five an over and it's got up to seven or eight a couple of times," Nielsen said. "The different ball is harder and comes on to the bat better."