Ponting "blown away" as time-wasting row rages

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON (Reuters) - A day before the start of the second Ashes test, the "time-wasting" row from the finale of the first match refuses to die down with Australia captain Ricky Ponting weighing in again on Wednesday.

"I have been a bit blown away by all the fuss over my comments on England's physio and 12th man in Cardiff," Ponting wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

"As I tried to explain that night, I was disappointed when they came back out on to the field for a second time, but it had no bearing on the game. Now it seems as if we're all talking about that one little incident, when we've just witnessed one of the great climaxes to a Test match.

"It's all done and dusted, it was over within a couple of minutes, and the players have all moved on."

England sent on their 12th man twice in two overs as well as their physio as tailenders James Anderson and Monty Panesar held out for a draw.

Captain Andrew Strauss said it was merely to convey messages to the batsmen and that there had been no time wasting.

Ponting, using the classic Australian put-down, described it as "pretty ordinary."

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher took issue with that and wrote in Wednesday's Guardian: "Ponting has to be careful. Someone needs to sit down and ask him what he understands by the spirit of the game. The way he plays is definitely not in the spirit."