A tricky one. One the one hand, that is a dismissal the like of which I've rarely seen. It is a batsman's responsibility to be in his crease and, to be honest, the whole episode was shambolic. That said, these things do happen in cricket (Vaughan's handled the ball was, arguably, much more of a mistake) and it's a shame that it's happened to a player so out of form.

Schoolboy error which should be his last moment of international cricket.Sadly it won't be.

So true Greg i bet he plays in the next test as well....

he seriously needs to be dropped.

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Not quite as moronic as Murali's dismissal but nonetheless a prime example of brainlessness. It ought to be his last act as an England player.

Coming as it does on the back of several cr*p dismaissals at times when we've really needed him, I have no sympathy. It was a stupid way to get out, and smacks of a guy who's mind was not fully on the job.

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I'll have the Mouseburger please, with a side of Goldfish.

I think it's a bit cynical from Ponting, with all of his 2005 whining about the "spirit of the game" and the NZ-Sri Lanka controversy over Murali's run-out. Talk of picking and choosing when you want to take the moral high ground!

As for Jones - I didn't see it but it sounds like he was careless to have left his crease. I don't hold that against him because of Ponting's hypocrisy, but it seems like it might sound the death knell on his career. A pair in a crucial test is not good enough and I think the pressure of test cricket, the media hounding and his own complacency have done him for good.

Are you seriously trying to draw a parallel between our somewhat questionable use of substitutes in 2005 and Ponting throwing a live ball onto the stumps ?

Incredible !!!

Interesting point. To be fair though, Jones wasn't wandering out of his crease with no intention of running (as when Gilchrist tried to run Pietersen out). He dragged his back foot, which is his responsibility, while the ball was very much still live so I think it's fair enough. Jones must have had one of the poorest Tests in history - his drop of Hussey and missed stumping of Clarke cost about 200 runs, and he bagged a pair. He has batted four times now at the WACA - and not scored a single run.

Who said anything about a parallel? I was merely citing hypocrisy for this reason - iff Ponting is such a noble gentleman and upholder of all that is honourable in the game of cricket I doubt he would have thrown the ball. However, my point is that Ponting looks for any sly opportunity to get a batsman out just like anyone else, and has a poor disciplinary record, and thus should leave any further comments about the spirit of the game aside for the sake of saving himself from criticism. In fact, closing his mouth and simply getting on with what he is incredibly good at (batting only) would be a worthwhile strategy.

I certainly said nothing about our use of substitutes or our own keeping of the spirit of the game, and do not need to in this case. The point is that Ponting's actions (especially his four-letter tirades against Fletcher in the pavilion and Vaughan out in the middle) continually mark him as the name-calling pot to everyone else's kettle with reference to his own sporting integrity.

I didn't think it was anything else but a valid form of dismissal. I'd do it in any game - even a club match. I'm amazed it provokes any debate, he wasn't stranded, off balance, impeded or distracted in any way, the ball wasn't dead. If he's out of crease, knock em over. If an English fielder had done this to Ponting, I'm sure he would be described as 'quick-witted'.

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I'll have the Mouseburger please, with a side of Goldfish.