Ponting draws flak from Australian sporting legends

Australian sporting legends have joined the chorus of criticism against the unsportsmanlike behaviour of Ricky Ponting's team in the Sydney cricket Test with India.

Australian sporting legends have joined the chorus of criticism against the unsportsmanlike behaviour of Ricky Ponting's team in the Sydney cricket Test with India.

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Sport Australia Hall of Fame members, John Bertrand, Herb Elliott and Rob de Castella, now plan to take the matter to Cricket Australia (CA), which they feel is damaging Australia's international reputation.

Hall of Fame chairman, Bertrand, said the group will seek an urgent meeting with CA because Australia's Test team was damaging international relations with its "win at all costs" attitude.

"Sport is only sport. It's not war. Their desire to win at all costs is beginning to blur their moral compass," Bertrand was quoted saying by 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

"The fallout that we are seeing at the moment is not acceptable. It's clearly damaging international relations and clearly upsetting a lot of people," Bertrand, who led Australian yatch team to win the America's Cup 25 years ago, said.

"We will be seeking a meeting with Cricket Australia to seek to get the Australian team to readjust their behaviour so that they do show respect for their opponents," he said.

Supporting Bertrand, Olympic gold medallist Herb Elliott said, "We don't like what we are seeing and hearing at the moment."

AFL hero Ron Barassi agreed with the Hall of Famers and said, "It concerns me that the Australians are regularly being referred to as being arrogant and because it is mentioned so often, you begin to wonder."