Ponting to use banned bat in SA ODIs

The Aussie captain will use his outlawed, graphite-backed bat for the limited overs series against South Africa this month.

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting said on Monday he will use his outlawed, graphite-backed bat for the limited overs series against South Africa this month, but will have to remove the backing or use a different bat for the test series.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, the keeper of the game's laws, last week ruled the Kookaburra bats, the blade of which is strengthened by thin carbon fiber backing strip, are illegal under cricket laws. The bats are also used by Ponting's teammates Mike Hussey and Brett Lee.

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Ponting described the MCC ruling as "frustrating and disappointing."

"There's a couple of good (bats) at the moment I don't really want to part company with," he said.

"I'm going to be right to use those bats until the end of the one-day series, I think.

"Then it's going to be up to me over there to get the black graphite off the back of the bat so I can use them in the Test series as well."