Ricky Ponting in action during a warm-up match against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI in Colombo on Tuesday. The skipper made 57 in Australia’s five-wicket win. (Reuters)

Colombo: Australian captain Ricky Ponting refutes his team’s reputation for overindulging in verbal mudslinging, saying they know when to stop harassing rival players.

“You’ve got to understand that not every time we open our mouths on the field we are abusing somebody. Quite often we are having a good light-hearted chat with the opposition players on the field and among ourselves,” Ponting said at a news conference late last night, where he faced a barrage of questions on sledging.

Australian cricketers have often been criticised for their aggression on the field, including excessive sledging.

“In any international sport there’s always going to be that high level of intensity and sometimes a few words are going to be spoken. In this team we are conscious of what’s accepted and what’s not,” said Ponting.

The Australian skipper also said his team has improved its performance under the conditions found in South Asia, including hot and humid weather and slow pitches.

“What we’ve done over the last few years with our play in the subcontinent I think we have improved a lot,” Ponting said.

Australia take on Sri Lanka in the first of the five one-day Internationals on Friday without their two main bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

Warne, making a comeback after a 12-month doping ban, is expected to join the squad for the three-Test series starting in March. But he will miss out on the one-day series.

McGrath is yet to prove his fitness following an operation on his left ankle. Warne is Australia’s leading bowler and with 491 Test wickets, while McGrath has 430 wickets.

But Ponting said recent series at home and abroad have proved that Australia could substitute these superstars and win.

“I think a lot of people realise then we have quite a number of back up bowlers like Nathan Bracken and Brad Williams,” he said.

Australia won a series against Zimbabwe and tied a four-Test series against India at home without its two leading bowlers, but the bowling attack lacked depth. (AP)