ICC looks deeper into Ponting bat

Ponting in action with the bat in question against New Zealand

Australia captain Ricky Ponting will be allowed to use his graphite-coated bat while the International Cricket Council carries out further research.

But the ICC's cricket committee said after a two-day meeting in Dubai that it did not want to upset the balance between bat and ball.

Indian great Sunil Gavaskar will head a sub-committee to look into the issue.

"We'd like to stick to the tradition of using a wooden bat and a leather ball," the ICC's Dave Richardson said.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included technology in the decision-making process and innovations in one-day internationals.

There is a lot of responsibility resting on the bat manufacturers Malcolm Speed ICC chief executive

Richardson, the ICC general manager of cricket affairs, said the sub-committee would look into bat manufacturing on various levels.

These include the use of carbon graphite, the width and depth of bats and 'corking' - a practice linked to baseball where the inside of a bat is replaced with cork to make it lighter and easier to swing.

"The ICC is growing increasingly concerned with issues surrounding the way in which bats are manufactured and 'enhanced'," chief executive Malcolm Speed added.

"There is a lot of responsibility resting on the bat manufacturers to ensure that the equipment that they produce conforms to the laws of the game and we want them to meet this responsibility."

Gavaskar, the cricket committee chairman, and Richardson will be joined by Arjuna Ranatunga of Sri Lanka, Angus Fraser of England and Australia's Tim May on the sub-committee.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, the sport's traditional rule-making body, was last month asked by the ICC to investigate the bat.

Ponting said he had been using the same bat for "five or six years", but that a sticker with graphite coating had been added on the back earlier in 2005.

The decision to investigate only came about after manufacturers Kookaburra contacted the ICC to query the amount of branding allowed.

Ponting rejects queries over bat

"I've just had a real laugh at it so far, I've not really thought too much about it or where it started from," Ponting said last month.

Ponting, a powerful hitter, has scored 6,950 runs at an average of 56.5 in 88 Test matches.

He struck a double-century with the bat against Pakistan in Sydney last January and a century in the Asian tsunami charity match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In addition, he averaged 97.66 in the three recent Tests in New Zealand.