Mind you own business, 'Mr Perfect': Punter to Gavaskar

Sydney, Mar 12 (UNI) Taking great exception to Sunil Gavaskar's comments on the reigning World Champions, Australia skipper Ricky Ponting launched a no-holds-barred counter-attack labelling the Indian batting legend a hypocrite and stopping just short of asking him to mind his own business.

In a bulid up to the World Cup, Gavaskar said Ricky Ponting's all-conquering side was unpopular because of ''awful'' on the field behavior. He said not only fellow competitors but the followers of the game were also ''gladdened'' after Australia lost five matches in consecution to England and New Zealand.

Clearly unamused Ponting launched a scathing attack last night back at the man who has regularly questioned Australia's behaviour.

''I don't know if there are too many popular winners,'' Ponting was quoted as saying by the 'Herald Sun'.

''If you are really dominating teams for a long period of time, I don't think you end up having too many supporters around the place.'' He asked Gavaskar to introspect and analyse first the way India had played their cricket.

''We all know the way he played his cricket, don't we? If he is talking about us, what about the way India have played their cricket over the last few years.

Ponting then pointed to India's miserable Test record in 2006, when it won just three of 12 matches, while Australia enjoyed an unbeaten run.

''I know who I would rather be going to watch. Have a look at how many Test matches they have won,'' he said.

He squared the blame for the above-mentioned statistics on Gavaskar and charged that the little master did little to help improve India's show despite serving a few key positions.

''He (Gavaskar) has been a big part of that, he has been a selector and he has been on the coaching committee. They might want to start to look at the way they play their own cricket rather than looking at us.'' Ponting said his team's behaviour had been ''reasonable'' in recent times, before reminding Gavaskar of his attempt to drag opening partner Chetan Chauhan from the Melbourne Cricket Ground during a Test in 1981 after the master batsman had again fallen to a contentious umpiring decision.

''I don't mind if 'Mr Perfect' comes out and goes on about our team, I know we are all not perfect. We are not going to keep everyone happy 100 per cent of the time. But for some of these guys that have done it all themselves, it's pretty high and mighty for them to say that.

''I know it (the on-filed-behavior) is something we pay a lot of attention to. But for him to go on about behaviour, not too many captains have dragged their teams off the field, either.'' Australia players were reported seven times last year for breaching the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, with Ponting and Brett Lee twice found guilty.

UNI