IPL 2015: James Faulkner backs Ricky Ponting's view on sledging

Mumbai: True to expectations allrounder James Faulkner on Monday endorsed the view expressed by his Australian compatriot and former captain Ricky Ponting on verbal duels on the cricket field.

Mumbai Indians' head coach Ponting had told reporters yesterday that verbal duels were part and parcel of the game and Rajasthan Royals' allrounder Faulkner backed him.

"I think no one goes out on the ground to get into a verbal altercation with anyone. It is a part of the game and things happen from time to time and like I said no one sets foot on the ground and tries to upset someone on purpose," said Faulkner, who won the Man of the Match award in the March 29 World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand.

"Cricket has always been played tough and it will continue to be played hard and tough and fair as well," he added.

Faulkner uttered these words in the presence of team mentor Rahul Dravid, Australian World Cup-wining teammates Shane Watson, RR's skipper, and Steve Smith and India's Ajinkya Rahane, who is also an integral part of Royals.

"I believe it is part of the game, but players probably do have to understand where the line is and make sure they are not overstepping the line. That's all we can say to our players, that's all we are worried about," Ponting had said.

"We are worried about MI, we are not worried about what's happened in the World Cup or what's happened before that. We just have to make sure that we handle our players well and that our players understand the way we want to play our game and the way we want them to play the game. That's about the same," he had added.

"Yes, the same. Exactly," MI captain Rohit Sharma had retorted when asked about on-field verbal duels.

Sharma attended the IPL match officials' conclave here and had a brief discussion there on the subject.