Brisbane, Nov. 20 (ANI): Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting believes all Test players owe it to the game to address the over rate crisis, which is ruining it at present.

"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," The Australian quoted Ponting as saying ahead of the Gabba Test against New Zealand.

"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. It is up to all of us to tighten up little areas of our game,” he added.

Ponting was speaking weeks after being savaged both at home and abroad for his decision to use part-time bowlers in a bid to make up the nine overs his team had fallen behind in the Nagpur Test against India.

Former Australian captains Allan Border and Ian Chappell, in particular, were outspoken in their criticism of Ponting’s decision to hand the ball to Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke and Cameron White, a decision that allowed India to push its score to 295.

The target proved too much for the Australian batting line-up, which struggled on the crumbling last-day wicket to be all out for 209, handing the Border-Gavaskar trophy and a 2-0 series win to the home side.

Ponting said he was confident the fallout would ensure every player under his command would be more vigilant when it comes to fulfilling their on-field obligations, adamant the challenges faced on tours of the sub-continent were unique. (ANI)