London, July 20: Ricky Ponting has been cleared of any misconduct during the third day’s play of the second Ashes Test here by the match referee Jeff Crowe and the Australian skipper claimed his actions were misinterpreted.
While Australia was in deep trouble to save the match, an Ponting frustration was visible when Nathan Hauritz claimed a low catch off Ravi Bopara which was later rejected by the third umpire.
The visiting captain was then involved in an another heated argument with Kevin Pietersen much to the displeasure of the on-field umpires. However, Crowe yesterday said umpire Rudi Koertzen had no problem with any of the two incidents. ”The only thing that Rudi said to me was that it was all very easygoing,” Crowe said. ”There was no problem at all. Ricky was finding out the clarity of the situation,” he added.
Although Ponting has in the past involved in such acts with the umpires on numerous occasions and has a hisory of being demonstrative against his opponents, but insists that neither was the case here at Lord’s on Saturday.
”I simply went to Rudi and asked him whether he made the decision or the third umpire made the decision (over Bopara’s catch),” Ponting said. ”Rudi told me the third umpire said the replay was inconclusive and I accepted that. ”Then Kevin Pietersen became involved and asked me what the story was and I told him. We had a bit of a joke and got on with the game. ”If I have remonstrated with anyone in the past, my hands have been out in front of me but my hands were by my sides. I was very relaxed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hauritz still maintained that he had grasped the contentious catch cleanly and insists he had no doubts that he got his fingers underneath the ball.
”I definitely did,” Hauritz said adding, ”I thought I caught it straight away. ”I said I’d caught it and Rudi just went and referred it. And it came back inconclusive. ”I didn’t hear it hit the ground, that’s why I thought I caught it but the third umpire said inconclusive,” the off-spinner stressed.
—–Agencies