CA 'cracking down' on Oz players 'putting foot out of line' in domestic ranks

Cricket Australia (CA) is reportedly cracking down on players who put a foot out of line in domestic ranks after the outbreak of behavioural breaches at domestic level fuelled suggestions of a different standard at state level.

Although Australian batsman David Warner escaped action from CA for his public criticism of England batsman Jonathan Trott, however, the ICC fined captain Michael Clarke 3000 dollars for sledging James Anderson at the Gabba, which is included among the 11 breaches this season.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, CA points out that this year's figures could be distorted by the fact a whole competition, the Ryobi Cup, has been completed, and said that the system was tweaked before the season to bring it into closer alignment with the ICC's behavioural code.

A CA spokesman said that there has been no edict to umpires to take a harder line as they have been asked to call it as they see it, although Australian Cricketers' Association boss Paul Marsh said that many of the offences this season had been relatively minor, adding that he would not want to see the aggressiveness stamped out of the players.

However, Marsh further said that the ACA anticipated CA would crack down because there were concerns over behaviour in the Big Bash League (BBL) last summer, adding that they are monitoring those concerns.

The report mentioned that Victorian captain Matthew Wade this month became the first player to be charged with the serious offence of pitch tampering, South Australian batsman Tom Cooper was fined for swearing in the dressing room, while Western Australia's (WA) Ashton Agar was fined for swearing in the direction of an umpire.