JOHANNESBURG, May 7: South Africa captain Graeme Smith has demanded an apology from Dwayne Bravo after he was cleared of racially abusing the West Indies all-rounder in the fourth Test in Antigua last week. Smith was charged with breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct after West Indies manager Tony Howard lodged a complaint following Bravo’s allegation. But match referee Jeff Crowe found Smith not guilty after a hearing attended by Smith, South African manager Goolam Rajah, convenor of selectors Haroon Lorgat, Howard and Bravo on Wednesday.

In a statement released on Saturday in which Cricket South Africa pledged their full support for their captain, Smith said the matter was not over.

“I will now ask for a public apology from Dwayne Bravo to end this matter,” Smith said. “If none is forthcoming, I shall take the case further.”

Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola added: “I am deeply disappointed by the allegation and, being a good judge of character, I always recognised Graeme to have a sound sense of judgment. “Cricket South Africa fully stands by him as captain and wish him well in the one-day series,” Majola said. Lorgat said: “Graeme is an important and respected member of the team and having got to know him well, I never doubted his integrity. As our captain, he is priceless.”—Reuters