SYDNEY, Jan 5: Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath was officially reprimanded for his behaviour during the third cricket Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Cricket Australia (CA) said McGrath had been reported by ICC field umpires Aleem Dar and Billy Bowden and third umpire Bob Parry for a Level 1 offence 1.4 under the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct.

That includes “using language that is obscene, offensive or insulting and/or the making of an obscene gesture”.

It was his sixth disciplinary hearing in eight years but it was the first time he had been reprimanded for his behaviour during a Test match.

CA said the incident took place at the end of the 13th over of South Africa’s second innings on Thursday’s fourth day’s play.

A hearing took place after play involving ICC match referee Chris Broad and umpires Bowden and Dar along with McGrath, Australian captain Ricky Ponting and team manager Steve Bernard.

McGrath has been fined four times and suspended once in his previous five disciplinary hearings, stretching back to 1998.

McGrath is the second Australian player to be reported during the third Sydney Test, with fellow fast bowler Brett Lee officially reprimanded on Tuesday for showing dissent while bowling in South Africa’s first innings.

A decision on the fate of South African coach Mickey Arthur will be known before the start of Friday’s play after he also faced an ICC disciplinary hearing on a charge of making public criticism of match officials.

Arthur, who was fined 25 percent of his match fee last November for making similar comments following a one-day match, was reported for his comments at a press conference Wednesday.

He said the South Africans were disappointed with leg before wicket appeals that were turned down against three Australian batsmen — Mike Hussey, Ponting and Andrew Symonds.

“We felt we were on the back end of a few decisions that didn’t go our way — I am disappointed, yeah, to be honest,” Arthur told reporters.

“I was more disappointed on a couple of lbws. Certainly, we feel we had Ponting, Hussey and Symonds earlier than they were eventually out.”—AFP