Ricky Ponting said Shahid Afridi's action cost Pakistan a rare victory on what has been a nightmarish tour for the visitors.

The Australian skipper took a potshot at Afridi for tampering with the ball during the fifth ODI at the WACA.

Whitewashed in the Test series and trailing 0-4 in the one-day series, Pakistan's misery was compounded when Afridi, who was the stand-in captain in place of an injured Mohammad Yousuf, was caught biting the ball during the fifth and final ODI at the WACA Ground in Perth yesterday.

Afridi was subsequently banned for two Twenty20 matches after pleading guilty to the charge.

Ponting said the ball-tampering incident may take Afridi's mind off the proceedings on the ground which ultimately helped Australia clinch the match by just two wickets and blank Pakistan 5-0 in the series.

"As soon as the Afridi thing happened, the umpires acted really well and changed the ball straight away," Ponting said.

"I think he himself must have realised when they changed the ball, he had actually been caught in the act. He would have had all sorts of things going through his mind for the last couple of overs and as captain you have enough going through your head without worrying about things like that," he added.