Cricket: Pietersen weighs into 12th man debate

England cricket batsman Kevin Pietersen says Australia have no grounds to be "moaning" about substitute fielders after he was caught out by 12th man Brad Hodge in the third test.

Furious Australian captain Ricky Ponting was fined 75 per cent of his match fee for his outburst after he was run out by England substitute fielder Gary Pratt at a crucial stage of the fourth test loss last week.

Ponting has complained about England's bowlers regularly taking breaks from the field and being replaced by specialist fielders from the local county rather than the selected 12th man who is released from the team to play for his club.

But Pietersen said Ponting's complaints were hypocritical considering he was caught by Hodge at Old Trafford.

Pietersen's argument, however, falls down because Hodge was Australia's selected 12th man and was replacing batsman Michael Clarke who had a back injury.

"I obviously heard Ponting swear and going nuts when he walked off the field," Pietersen said today.

"I can just look at it and frown upon it because of the simple fact that in Manchester I was caught on the boundary by Brad Hodge.

"I've heard the Aussies say purely a bowler should be 12th man, I don't see how that fits when Brad Hodge caught me as a fielding substitute for Michael Clarke, it certainly wasn't Michael Kasprowicz or Shaun Tait.

"In the England dressing room, it's not an issue, we're winning the test matches at the moment and we're concentrating on the positives, we're not interested in any moaning."

Pietersen remained diplomatic when asked whether the England team were encouraged by Ponting's frustrated reaction which showed a captain under intense pressure.

"The bloke averages 50 in international cricket, he scored a sensational 150 two weeks ago, he's a great player and I respect the bloke because he's a great player so I'm not going to sit here and say he's losing anything," Pietersen said.

"The bloke captains the best side in the world.

"I respect that Australian team, I'll never ever say a bad word about any Australian player.

"He's a genius, I will never say a bad word about the bloke."

England take a 2-1 lead into the fifth and final test at The Oval starting on Thursday.

- AAP