Hussey defends skipper Ponting

Amidst escalating race and sportsmanship rows with India, Australian...

Amidst escalating race and sportsmanship rows with India, Australian batting star Michael Hussey has defended skipper Ricky Ponting against calls for his scalp, saying he had the support of his entire team.

Hussey also said the Australian team had nothing to apologise for, maintaining the now-threatened series had been played in a hard but fair spirit despite India8217;s threats to go home unless spinner Harbhajan Singh8217;s three-match ban for racial sledging is overturned on appeal.

Hussey, whose second Test century in Sydney has been almost forgotten amid the controversy, said he was 8220;shocked8221; by Indian captain Anil Kumble8217;s assertion that only one team was playing in the spirit of cricket.

8220;That was a surprising comment and a little disappointing,8221; Hussey told reporters yesterday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where he was filming a cricket-based Bollywood movie.

8220;The spirit has been fantastic for the first two Tests, and not just that, for the 60 years we have been playing Test cricket against India. The two teams actually get on very well; it has been absolutely brilliant.

8220;That8217;s why I8217;ve been shocked by Kumble8217;s remarks. There have been a lot of contentious decisions, but you8217;ve got to accept the umpire8217;s decision. It takes discipline to do that without showing any dissent,8221; he said.

On calls in the media for Ponting8217;s resignation, Hussey said 8220;All I can say is Ricky has got the full support of everyone in our team and probably every cricketer around Australia.

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8220;I think he is the best captain I have played under. We go out to play the game as hard as we can but also as fairly as we can, and Ricky is very big on that,8221; he was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.

Hussey said Ponting had done nothing wrong by reporting Harbhajan for allegedly calling Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds a 8220;monkey8221; and was merely following ICC protocols.

Admitting that it was 8220;disappointing8221; the way the controversy had played out, he hoped Ponting and Kumble could get together for peace talks and 8220;work this all out8221;. Denying accusations that the Australians were arrogant, he said 8220;I know all the guys and that8217;s so far from the truth it8217;s not funny. We have a great pride in playing for the baggy green cap, and for each other.

8220;We know how hard it is to get an opportunity to play for Australia. We are not going to play at 80 or 85 per cent.8221;

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Hussey said the Sydney Test was hard and uncompromising but the only 8220;really disappointing8221; incident had been dealt with by match referee Mike Procter of South Africa.