It's an odd one.

The one that caused Ponting to blow his top was genuine enough under any circumstances with Simon Jones injured and England have done nothing in any substitution that breaches the rules/playing conditions for the series.

That said, I agree that it seems that Ponting had issues with this long before his runout. His annoyance at being run out only seems to have brought something he was concerned about to the boil.

Regardless of the playing conditions, I do find the practice of routinely taking your bowlers off for short breaks questionable in terms of the spirit of the game.

As a side issue, what do others think of this substitute who can bat or bowl and "power play" in some one day games? I don't like it but there again, I'm enough of a dinasour not to like squads of subs and changes of personel for tactical reasons in any game. To me, you put the team you have picked out and short of injuries, those players play right through.