Ponting

MUMBAI (Reuters):

Australia captain Ricky Ponting hopes there will be no recurrence of the racial abuse that has been directed at his players during a one-day series in India.

All rounder Andrew Symonds was racially abused by spectators during a One-Day International in Baroda last week and fans directed similar taunts at the Australians in the final one-day match in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Australia, 4-2 winners of the seven-match series after the opener was washed out, take on India in a one-off Twenty20 international today.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), which strengthened its anti-racism code last year, has written to Indian officials asking them to comment on events in Mumbai, and Indian media came down heavily on the crowd's behaviour.

"I was very disappointed to see some of the stuff that happened the other day," Ponting told a news conference yesterday.

The skipper added he had read in local newspapers yesterday that attempts were being made to improve the behaviour of the crowd.

"But that's not in our control. All we can do is get there and play and put on the best show that we can, and hopefully the crowds around enjoy what we do.

"If we put on a good show with our cricket, then hopefully, the fans will enjoy that more than just staying up to take a pot at somebody."

ZERO TOLERANCE

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed has urged members to be true to the zero tolerance approach to racism contained in the ICC's anti-racism code.

"It is pleasing to hear that some offenders in Mumbai were ejected and that is the type of zero tolerance we want in relation to this despicable behaviour," Speed said in a statement.

The Indian board said they would abide by the ICC norms on crowd control during today's match.

"We'll make public announcements appealing to the crowd to behave itself, also display similar announcements on the electronic board and if the crowds do not abide, then eject them like we did in the last one-dayer," administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty told reporters.

India's first home Twenty20

Today's match will be India's first home Twenty20 international.

"We are pretty excited actually and looking forward to the game. We are playing a team that has just won the World Cup a few weeks ago," Ponting said.

India surprised Australia, world champions in the 50-over format, in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Opener Matthew Hayden is expected to play after the batsman missed the last two one-dayers with a sore hip.

India named their Twenty20 World Cup-winning squad for this match, though leg-spinner Piyush Chawla will miss out with an ankle injury.

Batsman Robin Uthappa said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was suffering from a slight knee problem.

"We'll decide on his availability tomorrow," Uthappa told a news conference.