My family was threatened: Ponting

NEW DELHI, January 10: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said that his family had been getting threatening calls and that his captaincy was also under scrutiny.

In an interview to 'The Daily Telegraph', Ponting said his wife, Riana, rang to tell him he could be sacked, effigies of him were burning and that his parents had been threatened. Abusive and threatening calls compelled his parents to change their telephone number.

In video: My family was threatened says Ponting

Being retrospective, Ponting said there were certain things that could have been taken care of. He admitted that he had stood too long at the crease after being given out LBW in the first innings in Sydney.

"There's no doubt I stood there for a second or two too long and I shouldn't have done that," he said.

"It probably didn't help that I was shown throwing my bat when I got back to the rooms.

"Some of the guys mightn't have shaken (Indian skipper Anil) Kumble's hand after the game but we were so wrapped up with the end of the game that they were already off the field.

"We all walked along when it was over and shook their hands."

'The Daily Telegraph' also quoted Ricky Ponting of being very conscious of the team's image. Ponting said people appreciate and enjoy Australian cricket that is tough and very competitive but his side was ready to work on grey areas if there were any.

"I don't think anyone wants the way Australia plays cricket to change. Everyone likes to see a tough, uncompromising brand of cricket," he said.

"But if there are areas in our game to improve then obviously we need to address that."

"I think we can all look back at that last Test and realise there were some little areas in that game that, if we had our time over, we might have done slightly differently."

Ponting was dumbfounded at some of the reaction since the finish to the second Test, which Australia won by capturing three late wickets with minutes to spare to seize their 16th consecutive Test victory.

"What I want is for the Australian cricket team to be the most loved and the most respected sporting side in this country. That's always been one of my aims and it will continue to be," he said.

"One thing I've been conscious of over the last five years I've been captain is that this team is going to be recognised as one of the all-time great Australian cricket teams.

"But what I've also been conscious of is making sure the guys are remembered as being good people as well as great cricketers.

"In the last two or three seasons especially we've actually started to change the perception, the way in which the public see us. There have been less (players reported). We're ultra conscious of how we play the game and the spirit of cricket which we all signed on to."