NEW DELHI: Australia skipper Ricky Ponting was Wednesday reprimanded by the International Cricket Council after he smashed a dressing room TV set during a World Cup tie. The ICC said that Ponting had accepted the charge under the code of conduct which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match”. Match referee Roshan Mahanama said: “Ricky knows that his action was in breach of the code, involving a brief moment of frustration. “It was clear that the damage he caused was purely accidental and without malice, he apologized shortly after the incident at the ground and immediately agreed to pay for the damage.” Ponting smashed the TV in a fit of fury after being run out during the 91-run win over Zimbabwe. The ICC had been contacted by the Indian cricket board following a complaint lodged by the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) despite Ponting having apologized. Banned Butt makes debut as TV pundit Banned batsman Salman Butt said he was delighted to “renew his ties with cricket” after he made his debut as a television pundit for Pakistan's opening World Cup match against Kenya Wednesday. Last week the sport's governing body (ICC) said it was unhappy Butt has been hired by little-known Channel Five in Pakistan and was checking whether he had breached the terms of his punishment after being found guilty of corruption. However, Butt was glad to be involved in the sport again – albeit as an armchair observer. “It's great to renew my ties with cricket which remains my biggest passion and bread and butter even today,” Butt said while taking a break from commentating on the Group A match. Butt was banned for at least five years by an ICC anti-corruption tribunal earlier this month after being found guilty of spot-fixing elements of a Test against England last year, during which he was captain of the team. The former opener is also facing criminal charges of accepting bribes and fraud by the London Metropolitan Police and will appear in a London court on March 17. “I don't see anything wrong in working as an expert for the Pakistan matches. I am not allowed to play any cricket or take part in cricket activity organized by the ICC or the PCBso I am not breaching the terms of my ban,” Butt added. Butt was also sacked by his employer, for whom he played domestic cricket, and had his central contract terminated by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Empty stands Thousands of tickets went unsold for the Pakistan-Kenya clash at Mahinda Rajapakse Stadium in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, Wednesday. The sparse crowd was a far cry from the Sri Lanka-Canada clash Sunday, the first international match at the 35,000-capacity stadium, which saw thousands pack the stands. Pakistan was originally slated as one of the host nations for the World Cup but a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 – which killed eight people and wounded seven visiting players, saw it lose those rights. “It would have been nice to have played before our home crowd, but because of unavoidable circumstances we are playing on neutral venues, which would see less crowds and less support, but that's not a problem,” captain Shahid Afridi said. The organizers brought in schoolchildren for free to fill the stands. Lanka eyes return to Pakistan - official Pakistan's cricketing isolation could end in October if Sri Lanka, who was targeted in a deadly terror attack in Lahore two years ago, agree to tour the troubled country. Sri Lankan officials said Wednesday they were in talks with the International Cricket Council's Pakistan Task Team (PTT) to explore the possibilities. “We are still discussing the option with the ICC and with all the other board members,” said Sri Lanka Cricket Chairman Somachandra de Silva. “There are still some security concerns in Pakistan but if things improve, and Pakistan is a brotherly nation, we can consider it – all depends on the ICC's clearance,” De Silva said. Sri Lanka is scheduled to tour Pakistan in October this year under the Future Tests Program. World T20 kicks off As cricket's top nations battle for the World Cup in the Indian sub-continent, the qualifying process starts in Africa for the 2012 World Twenty20 taking place in Sri Lanka. Cameroon, Gambia, Lesotho, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda and the Seychelles will play in an initial qualifier in Ghana from Feb. 24 to 27. It is the first regional qualifying event in a process that will lead to a 16-team global qualifier in the United Arab Emirates in 2012. The six associate/affiliate members with one-day international status – Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland – have automatically qualified for this event.
