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Sydney: Australia are still waiting on a reply from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about their request to field an extra player in their first two Ashes tour matches.
Australia have asked the ECB whether they can use 12 players instead of 11 in the warm-up matches against Sussex and England Lions.
Australia made the unusual request because they are still undecided about their lineup of fast bowlers for the Tests and want to compare them under the same match conditions.
England made a similar request on their last Ashes visit to Australia, in 2006-07, which was granted by their hosts.
"The first two games we play leading into the first Test will tell us a pretty good story about where we see all of those five fast bowlers," Ponting said in Australia.
Of the five pacemen Australia selected for the Ashes, only left-armer Mitchell Johnson is assured of a spot in the team for the first Test.
Australia could play either two or three of the other five, depending on whether they also decide to go with spinner Nathan Hauritz.
The question facing Australia's selectors is whether to go with their in-form newcomers or experienced pacemen or a mixture of both.
Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus both played well in Australia's recent series win in South Africa while the experienced Brett Lee and Stuart Clark were recalled to the squad after recovering from injuries.
