Ricky Ponting has said he "copped a gobful" from a spectator during the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston but admitted there is little can be done to curb the crowd's behaviour.
Ponting was caught on camera by Sky Sports television having an angry exchange with a spectator when he was dismissed in the first innings at Edgbaston. The images were not shown at the time and Sky sources have indicated they pulled the footage in order to avoid viewer complaints.
Ponting and the Australian team have been keen to avoid criticising the supporters in order not to stoke more problems for the remainder of the Ashes.
"There were some words exchanged," said Ponting. "The spectator was leaning over the front of the grandstand and gave me a gobful as I got out the other day. As it turned out he was later thrown out of the ground so it would appear he was in the wrong doing what he did.
"It is probably a security thing more than anything else. Where we had to walk on and off the ground was close to the vicinity of a lot of spectators and if there is one place in the world where a security guy should have been standing it is right there where that spectator was so it could have been avoided.
"It is part and parcel of what we do and it is no bigger deal here than anywhere else in the world. I have enjoyed the spectator participation in the series. The Barmy Army are the best group of sports supporters that I have seen anywhere around the world. They come to the cricket to enjoy themselves and sometimes it is small minorities who make the days disappointing for others and I think that is what has happened here."
Officials at Headingley have taken extra steps to increase security around the players' dressing rooms and have said they will monitor the drinking levels of supporters.
"You can go too far the other way as well," said Ponting. "You are not going to stop someone having something to say. Let's remember these complaints have not come from the Australian team or its officials. It is the administrators at some of the venues who have been a bit disappointed with what has happened.
"At the end of the day there it is out of the players' hands. There is nothing I can do about it. And probably to a degree there is nothing the administrators can do about it. You can't have one security guard per spectator in ground making sure he doesn't say anything during the course of the day."
Australia trained at Headingley today with Brett Lee again looking close to full fitness along with wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
"I have total confidence in all the players," said Ponting. "In a big game like this I am sure we can bring out our best cricket. We spoke long and hard at the start of the series what an Ashes series means to us and this is a must win game for us. The way things have come together for us over the last few days some of our guys will probably come back to full fitness and we have some positive results out of the last Test match."
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