Australian captain Ricky Ponting has defended Test cricket amid recent claims that it is outdated.

Ponting insisted that for him it remains "the ultimate form of our game".

West Indies skipper Chris Gayle said recently that he would not mourn if Test cricket ever died as he prefers to play the shorter one-day or Twenty20 forms of the game.

"I've always viewed Test cricket as ultimate"

Gayle's comments came after he had to cut short his spell in the Indian Premier League and only arrived in the United Kingdom two days before the first of two Tests against England.

A few days later South Australian Shaun Tait reacted angrily to his omission from the latest Australian contracted-players list, having been refused permission to play in the IPL on his return from injury, when he said Gayle may be "spot on".

But speaking after Australia had named its 16-man tour squad for the upcoming Ashes series, Ponting echoed the thoughts of his England counterpart Andrew Strauss in defending the traditional form of the game.

"I've always viewed Test cricket as the ultimate form of our game and nothing's changed for me there," Ponting said.

"I'd be surprised if, certainly any of the guys within this squad here that's just been picked would be saying anything different either. It is the pinnacle for us so we're just looking forward to getting over there and playing."

Ponting has no concerns either that Test cricket is in any danger of dying out, pointing to the way his team strives to play the game and some of the recent series it has been involved in, including home-and-away clashes with South Africa, as evidence of this.

Ponting disappointed with Tait's comments

"I think we've done a great job over the years, the Australian cricket team, in making the Test game as enjoyable and as good a spectacle as it possibly can be," he said.

"I think to a certain degree the 2005 Ashes series that we played was something that really reinvigorated Test match cricket all around the world.

"With the excitement already around about this coming Ashes series hopefully it will have the same effect on the world game."

While disappointed by Tait's comments, Ponting believes that given his time again the fast bowler's comments might be a little more measured and he also did not rule out the possibility of Tait playing for Australia in future.

"I think Shaun probably got caught at a pretty weak moment the other day, he was obviously disappointed with some of the things that had happened and was probably speaking that way as well," Ponting added.

"He might have just got caught off guard. Hopefully in the future he wants to play as much Test cricket as he can for Australia and if he has that desire and he gets his body in the best shape that he possibly can then there's definitely a future for him if he wants it."

As for Gayle's comments, while Ponting does not place too much stock in what the big-hitting West Indian had to say he can understand where he is coming from.

"I saw the comments that Chris made last week," he said.

"I think probably the major reason for that is that series has been scheduled on right in the middle of the IPL and Chris is obviously making the majority of his income from playing that six weeks of the IPL.

"The West Indian players themselves have been in a lot of contract talks and discussions with their cricket board for a long time and I don't think they've ever really got that right.

"I think there's a bit of annoyance from Chris' part that these things keep taking place. But at the end of the day I'm not really fussed what he's got to say."