West Indies great Michael Holding criticised former Australian captain Ricky Ponting day over revelations in his autobiography that prompted a public spat with current skipper Michael Clarke.
Holding, now a prominent cricket commentator, said it was "unfortunate" that Ponting had broken the traditional dressing room code of silence in the book, which was released last month.
The former paceman said it was acceptable for ex-players to reveal "a few little titbits" in their memoirs but they should not air dirty laundry in public.
"You don't want to be starting all this animosity after you've finished playing," he told New Zealand radio station Livesport.
"You've played cricket with some great guys, some not that great, but that doesn't mean that you come out into the open and wash your laundry, keep it behind doors. What is gone is gone."
Holding said publishers encouraged controversy in books because it boosted sales but players needed to be careful about what they revealed.
"I don't believe in that, you shouldn't be writing a book purely for making money," he said.
"You should be writing books to let the public know a few little things that they wouldn't have known under normal circumstances when you were playing.
