Clarke fined by ICC over sledging

BRISBANE: Australian captain Michael Clarke was Monday fined 20 percent of his match fee by the International Cricket Council after warning England’s James Anderson to expect a broken arm.

The final day of the first Test against arch-rivals England in Brisbane, which Australia won by 381 runs, boiled over on Sunday with constant "sledging" (insults).

It culminated when Clarke was caught by a stump microphone telling tailend batsman Anderson to "get ready for a broken (expletive) arm".

He was reported by umpire Kumar Dharmasena and the ICC said Clarke breached its code of conduct, which relates to "using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an international match".

Clarke admitted the offence and accepted the sanction, avoiding the need for a formal hearing, the ICC said.The second Test starts in Adelaide on December 5. (AFP)