No need for neutral umpires, says Ponting

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting says there is no need for 'neutral' umpires in Test cricket.

Under International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations, Test matches are controlled by umpires from countries other than the two competing in the match.

As Australia prepares for its Ashes battle with England starting on November 23 at the Gabba, Ponting says there is no reason why English or Australian umpires should not be allowed to control the Tests.

Australia's Simon Taufel is currently regarded as the best umpire in the world, but will not be able to officiate in the Ashes Tests because of the ICC's rules.

Three other umpires on the ICC's Elite Panel are from the two countries - Daryl Harper and Darrell Hair from Australia and Mark Benson of England.

"I'd just like to have the best umpires umpiring cricket around the world all the time, that's what it's all about," he said.

"It's the highest standard of cricket that we play and you have to have the best umpires umpiring those games.

"So whether that means they are Australian, or two Pakistanis or two Indians it doesn't really matter to me.

"As long as they are doing a good job out in the middle."

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Meanwhile, Ponting said Greg Chappell was one of the obvious candidates to replace coach John Buchanan as Australian coach next year.

Buchanan will step down after seven years in the role at the end of the World Cup in the West Indies.

Chappell has spent much of the past two years on the sub-continent coaching India, but Ponting said his time out of the country would not hamper his ability to coach the Australians.

"He hasn't had much to do with any of the current players in the side," he said.

"But I'm pretty sure he'd be keeping a pretty close eye on things.

"It's only been 18 months or something that he's been in the Indian job, so he'd have a really good understanding of a lot of our games anyway.

"A lot of the guys have been around a while and played a bit."

- RADIO AUSTRALIA