Ponting hits back at Fletcher criticism

Ricky Ponting has hit back at some fierce Ashes criticism from Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, suggesting that his comments were a smokescreen against criticism of his own team. In a preview of his book The Coach's Story, Fletcher said the Australians had been verbally abusive and physically intimidating while flouting the spirit of the game in England.

Fletcher has also detailed his account of Ponting's wild reaction after being run-out by Gary Pratt at Trent Bridge, where there were other reported problems. "We have it on good authority that the groundsman [Steve Birks] was verbally abused by some of the Australian players," Fletcher wrote.

Fletcher added that Ponting "blew his top" when he smiled at him after he was run out in Pratt, a crack substitute fielder, who had been subbed on for a bowler. Ponting said he was disappointed by Fletcher's latest broadside, suggesting it sounded more like England had lost the Ashes, not won them after 18 years.

"That was probably what got my back up more than anything was to have their coach standing on the balcony smiling at me once I was dismissed from a Test match," he said. "He knew what the whole substitute issue meant to the Australian cricket team after we made a big song and dance about it before the first one-day international was played at the start of the summer. We didn't think it was right. They continued doing it and nothing was done about it."

As for the questions of fair play, Ponting told AFP: "I don't recall having any of the umpires speak to me or any of the match officials speak to other than that one incident in which I was fined for. We did everything in our power to play the game in the right spirit. I think that was pretty evident right through the whole series and we've been applauded for the way we played through the series.

"I don't know if he's trying to cover his own backside a little bit with a lot of these allegations directed at us now. It's all coming after some allegations were made against him about the way England conducted themselves through the tour. To be honest, I don't really care."

Matthew Hayden, who had not seen the stories, came out in support of his captain, questioning why Fletcher had waited until Ponting was at home to make the comments. "He's a long, long way away isn't he," Hayden, who will face Ponting's Tasmania in an ING Cup match on Saturday, told AAP. "We won't play [England] for another 18 months and the Australian captain will still be Ricky Ponting, and he's going to have a few more titles under his belt than England."

Dropped from Australia's one-day side for the Super Series, Hayden said the rare appearance for Queensland was the beginning of his campaign to return to the No. 1 side. "I'm not finished playing one-day cricket," he said. Hayden cemented his Test sport with his second hundred in two matches in Sydney last week.