Clarke fined for Anderson sledge

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 a stump microphone caught Clarke telling tail end batsman Anderson to get ready for a broken 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.