Fans urged to respect Ponting

England fans have been asked to stop jeering and respect Australia captain Ricky Ponting in the fourth Ashes test that starts at Headingley today.

The Leeds venue is normally one of the more raucous cricket grounds in England but England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke issued a plea to fans not to boo the record-breaking batsman.

"Ponting has earned the respect and courtesy of the crowd... the game may never see his like again," Clarke said in the match programme.

Ponting, who has scored more test runs than any other Australian and is third on the all-time list, was booed by sections of the crowd at the Edgbaston test which ended in a draw on Monday to leave England 1-0 up with two matches remaining.

However, in his column in The Daily Telegraph, Ponting played down the antics of England's so-called Barmy Army, calling them the best fans in the world.