PERTH - Rival cricket captains Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble have scrapped an agreement they had over contentious catches for the remainder of the Australia-India test cricket series.
Ponting confirmed today he and Kumble had abandoned the pre-series pact for players to take the word of fielders overcontentious catches following the controversial second Test in Sydney.
The Indians were particularly aggrieved by Michael Clarke's claiming of a catch to dismiss Sourav Ganguly on the dramatic final day after the Australian had stood his ground when clearly dismissed earlier in the match.
Ponting today said he would have liked to continue with the pact into the third test, which starts tomorrow at the WACA Ground, but he and Kumble had agreed to abandon the policy.
Contentious catches was one of the matters Ponting and Kumble discussed last night during their session with International Cricket Council mediator Ranjan Madugalle, where both sides also agreed to play with renewed respect for each other.
Ponting said he would have liked the catching agreement to continue, but at least got umpires Asad Rauf and Billy Bowden to rule on close calls themselves instead of referring them to the third umpire.
"It's been scrapped as of yesterday," Ponting said on the catching policy.
"That wasn't the way I wanted to play, I wanted to continue the way it was.
"But the feeling through the Indian team, and not just Anil's thoughts on it, they would like it to go back and be in the hands of the umpires on the field.
"I've just had a chat with both umpires out on the ground now on that whole thing and they'll be endeavouring to make the call between themselves on the field rather than just referring everything, which is the way I prefer it to be.
"That's the way it's going to be for the remainder of the series."
