Wonder why I was the bad guy at Lord8217;s: Ponting

8220;You tend to get a more subdued,cricket-loving crowd,and one that8217;s more focused on what8217;s happening in the game than the little things around the edges,8221; he added.

Ponting was repeatedly booed by the fans and the diminutive Aussie admitted it was unnerving.

8220;But any Australian captain is going to cop it over here. Some have said it8217;s because I8217;m the last one out of that group of players who had a lot of Ashes success in late 1990s and early 2000s. So perhaps it8217;s just payback time,8221; he reasoned.

On the controversial umpiring decisions that marred the second Test which Australia lost,Ponting reiterated that the fielder8217;s word should be taken on contentious catches.

8220;When I took over this job five years ago,I tried to initiate a policy of always taking the fielder8217;s word in these situations. All other captains said no,because they wanted extra protection for their players,and that8217;s fine,8221; he said.

8220;8230; the two incidents last week involving low catches were not handled in exactly the same way. But as a player,you just have to accept the decision and see what happens over the remainder of the game,8221; he added.