Chappell wants Ponting’s suspension for arguing with umpires

MELBOURNE - Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has demanded the suspension of skipper Ricky Ponting.

Ponting was fined 40 per cent of his match fee for his finger-pointing rant at umpires following the rejected referral of an appeal for caught behind against Kevin Pietersen.

Chappell felt Ponting was let off lightly. “If I was adjudicating, I’d think a suspension would be in order as the ICC has to get tough about this sort of thing,” he told the BBC.

Chappell earlier told Cricinfo that Ponting’s outburst was “ridiculous”.

“I’m not sure it’s a sign of cracking. I think its just a bad habit that Ricky has, that he likes to argue judgement calls with umpires and, as I say, it should have been stopped long ago,” Chappell said.

Most people feel the tirade was a result of Ponting’s increasing frustration as the Ashes series drifts away from Australia, The Age reports. (ANI)