Warne heaps scorn on Ponting for Ashes call

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne has poured scorn on Ricky Ponting for a captaincy call that haunted the 2005 Ashes series.

After thrashing England in the first Test at Lord's, Ponting's great Australian side went on to lose one of the closest series in history 2-1, with a two-run loss in the second Test at Edgbaston the major turning point.

That Test featured many talking points, starting with leading fast bowler Glenn McGrath's warm-up injury that ruled him out after he stood on a cricket ball and rolled his ankle.

McGrath had taken nine wickets in a man of the match performance, but if his injury was the beginning of the end, it was a stunning call by Ponting to send the home team in after winning the toss that really turned the momentum.

It's a long-held theory that the captain who wins the toss should bat unless there are several factors working in the bowling team's favour, most notably a green pitch and heavy conditions overhead.

Adding weight to that theory in the case of the Edgbaston Test was that Ponting had the greatest spin bowler of all-time in his side, with Warne always preferring the chance to bowl in the fourth innings, when the pitch was worn and conditions were at their most difficult for the batting side.

Yet Ponting backed his pace attack, minus McGrath, to skittle England for a low score, a decision that blew up in his face when England compiled a commanding first innings score of 407.

Reliving the Edgbaston thriller with Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, Marcus Trescothick and Steve Harmsion for Sky Sports, Warne didn't hold back when asked about Ponting's decision at the toss.

"Nasser [Hussain] goes down as one of those people that had one of the worst-ever decisions when he said 'we'll have a bowl, thanks' at Brisbane [in the 2002/03 Ashes], but at least at The Gabba the ball swings or does something on day one. This was a road and the ball did nothing," Warne said.

"Punter's [Ponting's] decision to bowl first was just the worst decision ever, by any captain. So take a back seat, Nas, Punter has got your back."