Australia captain Ricky Ponting revealed yesterday details of a heated exchange he had with an England supporter during the third Test and said the incident could have been avoided with better security.

Ponting, who has been booed by England supporters during the Ashes series, felt a line had been crossed from good-hearted pantomime-like booing when a spectator at Edgbaston Sunday abused him as he returned to the pavilion after he had been bowled by Graeme Swann for five.

Security issue

"There were some words exchanged," Ponting told reporters at Headingley. "The spectator was actually leaning over the front of the grandstand and gave me a bit of a gob-full as I got out. He was later thrown out of the ground so it would appear he was in the wrong doing what he did.

"It's probably a security thing more than anything else. Where we had to walk on and off was in the vicinity of a lot of spectators, and if there was one place in the world where a security guy should have been standing it was right there where that spectator was, so it could have been avoided," Ponting added.

England, seeking to regain the Ashes, lead the series 1-0 with two matches to play. Despite the tense situation of the series, Ponting said he is enjoying the competition and especially the friendly banter with the supporters.

England's more vocal fans known as the Barmy Army, which has actually become a travel company, such is the amount that English cricket fans number at home and away, are appreciated by Australia's players, Ponting said, as he attempted to play down the latest incident.

"(The barracking) is part and parcel of what we do, it happens everywhere around the world," Ponting said. "It's no bigger deal here in this series as it's been in any other series that I've played."

Meantime, Ponting said the final team would be selected on today's opening morning of the fourth Test. The selection dilemmas include whether to recall fast bowler Brett Lee after he recovered from a rib injury, whether seamer Stuart Clark will return, and if wicketkeeper Brad Haddin is fit enough after breaking his finger 30 minutes before the third Test began.