MELBOURNE, Nov 21: Peeved at being labelled selfish, Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday hit back at India, saying that slow over-rate was a problem typical to the country.

Ponting was criticised for bowling part-time bowlers to run through the overs in the fourth Test at Nagpur to escape a punishment for slow over-rate instead of attacking the Indians with his mainline bowlers.

“I have said since I got back that there are a host of things that conspire against you in India. It is a hard place for fast bowlers to keep running in and get through their overs,” Ponting was quoted as saying in The Australian.

Ponting said that Indian batsmen take up a lot of time. “The sightscreen and spectators play more of a part than they do anywhere else in the world. Their batsmen take up a lot more time than most opposition batsmen do. I mean runs cost you time as much as anything else. When a lot of boundaries are being scored that slows things down a lot,” he said.

Ponting added slow-over rate is a concern for every team and the authorities should look into the matter. “There is a great responsibility for everyone around the world to look at this over rate issue and make sure each team is doing the right thing by the game.”

“I and our team have been as guilty as anyone for getting behind in our overs and making the game not as good a spectacle for the fans as what it could potentially be,” he said.—Agencies