England head coach Andy Flower rejected on Tuesday any suggestion that his team had engaged in deliberate time wasting during the drawn first Ashes Test against Australia on Sunday.
Reserve fielder Bilal Shafayat went on to the field twice while the last pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar were batting for 69 balls to save the match.
Both times Anderson changed his gloves and on the second occasion Shafayat was accompanied by the team physiotherapist Steve McCaig.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said later he could not understand why Anderson needed new gloves twice or why the physiotherapist needed to be on the field at all.
"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised at all the hullabaloo," Flower told a news conference at Lord's. "In that last hour or two of the game there was no time wasting at all. Never did we consciously try to waste time."
Flower said there was confusion among the batsmen about what time the game was going to end. In the final hour Australia could have bowled more than the minimum 11.3 overs required.
"We needed to get messages out to them to make sure that they were clear," Flower said.
"We haven't got walkie-talkies to those guys, the only way to get messages to them was to send people out there. We did that right at the end.
"We have got a very good record as a side and we play the game the right way. In the last few years we have got the ICC (International Cricket Council) fair play award twice.
"So let's keep it all in perspective and not deflect attention from a very good rearguard action."
