By Martin Gough

The International Cricket Council has often been accused of lacking teeth but in the last year it has been fitted with an oversized set of dentures.

Media reaction to Ganguly ban

Bark is no longer worse than bite and Sourav Ganguly is the latest victim, hit with a six-match ban after repeatedly allowing his bowlers to waste time.

Team-wide fines, and even the loss of overs for a team bowling first, have failed to curb the practice.

Making important players take time out could be the solution.

"The new policy reflects the deep-rooted concerns within the game about over-rates taking too long," says ICC spokesman Brendan McClements.

"There was a sense that we needed greater teeth, particularly in dealing with repeat offenders.

"A change in the code of conduct was agreed by all countries and after consultation with the players, to put the onus on captains."

Stretching the time available can be advantageous not just in Tests but also in one-day games Brendan McClements ICC spokesman

Since that change in April 2003, straight after the World Cup, captains have been made responsible for the actions of their teams.

India have twice in this series against Pakistan been guilty of taking more than three-and-a-half hours to bowl their 50 overs.

And as a repeat offender, Ganguly has been hit with the heaviest penalty yet. A single offence in a 12-month timeframe still only merits a fine.

Time-wasting has tended to be more of a problem in Test cricket, where light, weather or natural intervals play more of a part in the flow of the game.

OVER-RATE RULE Teams have three-and-a-half hours plus allowances to bowl 50 overs Allowances include wickets falling, sightscreen problems, injuries and changing the ball Each member of bowling team fined 5% of match fee for each over short, but fine doubled for captain If shortfall more than two overs, captain charged with time-wasting, with fine up to 100% and ban up to two ODIs If this happens twice in 12 months, the penalty is upped to a possible eight-ODI ban

In one-day internationals it is more likely to be the TV companies and sponsors who are complaining when things take longer than needed, but the ICC stands firm.

"Weather and momentum play a part and stretching the time available can be advantageous not just in Tests but also in one-day games," argues McClements.

Only twice before has the new policy made banning players possible but if Ganguly's appeal fails this would be the first instance of it being enforced.

The India skipper was banned from two Tests for the same reason last year, but successfully argued delays were due to factors outside his control.

And an administrative oversight saw his Pakistani counterpart, Inzamam-ul-Haq get away with a second time-wasting offence in Australia in February.

Evidence is still short on whether the policy is an effective deterrent.

County cricket has gone a step further, adding penalty runs if the team bowling second takes too long.

But Ganguly could have plenty of time to consider the options as he recovers from a severe bite from the ICC's incisors.