Madugalle hails Kumble, Ponting

PERTH: India and Australia have vowed to move forward and "uphold the interest of the game" by playing in the right spirit and with mutual respect for each other, ICC Chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle said on Monday.
    
Rival skippers Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting diffused the week-long tension that gripped the cricketing world following the Sydney Test and pledged to continue the rest of the series in a positive way.
    
"Ricky and Anil understand and agree that the interest of the game is paramount and that it should always be played in the correct spirit and with mutual respect between opponents," Madugalle said after brokering peace.
    
Madugalle was flown from Sri Lanka to bridge the gap between the teams.
    
"I have met the two captains and the managers separately over the past couple of days and then I talked to the two captains together today," he said.
    
"I am happy to say that both Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble were extremely supportive in all dealings I have had with them and I am in no doubt they want to move forward and draw a line under what happened in the past couple of weeks," Madugalle said in an ICC release.
    
He said both the captains were role models for millions of people and were aware of their responsibilities in projecting the game in a positive way.
    
"I am confident that after meeting with the two captains, we can all expect to watch an entertaining game of cricket played in a great spirit between these two fine teams."