Ricky Ponting faces ICC charge

Thursday, 24 February 2011 00:01 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Australia captain Ricky Ponting will be charged for allegedly damaging a television set in the dressing room after being dismissed against Zimbabwe.

Ponting, 36, was run out for 28 runs as Australia began the World Cup with a 91-run win over Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad.

The International Cricket Council acted after receiving a report from the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).



An ICC spokesman said: “We received a report about the incident and have taken the decision to charge him.”

Officials at the World Cup venue in Gujarat accused Ponting of causing the damage after the Tasmanian was run out at the non-striker’s end by a direct throw from Chris Mpofu as he attempted a second run.

On his way back to the pavilion, Ponting appeared to talk angrily to himself having failed to push on to a sizeable score in his first competitive innings since breaking a finger in the fourth Ashes Test against England in December.

The report relating to the alleged incident was sent to the BCCI by the Gujarat Cricket Association, which oversees the sport in Ahmedabad.

“When Ponting was run out, he was perhaps frustrated. He threw his gloves straight at the TV,” Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Rajesh Patel said.

“It was an LCD TV, which was properly damaged. We could not view anything so I had to replace it immediately.

“We have photos of the incident and we have informed the BCCI.

“An Australian team captain should not behave in this manner.”

The ICC spokesman added that the governing body would wait until the Australian team arrived in Nagpur on Wednesday for Friday’s Group A match against New Zealand before formally informing Ponting.

“We need to talk to him... because we don’t know what he’s going to say to it,” added the spokesman.

Ponting is attempting to become the first skipper to achieve the feat of winning three World Cup titles in a row.

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