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Australia v West Indies, 1st match, DLF Cup

Ponting fined for showing dissent

Cricinfo staff

September 12, 2006

' I know I made a serious error of judgement' - Ponting © Getty Images

Ricky Ponting has been fined his entire match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during Australia's first match of the DLF Cup against the West Indies, in Kuala Lumpur.

He was found guilty of 'showing dissent at an umpire's decision' by Chris Broad, the ICC match referee, breaching level 1.3 of the ICC Code after he reacted to Asad Rauf's decision to call a wide in the 33rd over of West Indies' innings.

This was Ponting's second such offence in the past 12 months - the other took place during the second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong in April - and his punishment was automatically raised to a level 2 offence. "A captain should set the example for his players to follow," Broad said, "and it is not acceptable for any player, let alone a captain, to question an umpire's decision."

In a statement to the press, Ponting apologised for a "serious error of judgement": "Having had the opportunity to sleep on the incident, I know I made a serious error of judgement. I regret the approach I made to umpire Asad Rauf and realise I shouldn't have behaved in the way I did."

Ponting said that he had apologised to Michael Brown, Cricket Australia's acting chief executive, and that he would also personally apologise to Rauf. "International cricket matches are passionate affairs but as the captain of the Australian cricket team, I understand it is my responsibility to uphold the spirit of the game and I know that through my actions I let myself and my team down."

Australia beat the West Indies by 78 runs with Michael Clarke and Ponting both hitting fifties.

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