Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has slammed Australia for their 'rabid' Ashes sledging and warned them that it could turn physical over the course of the series.
Michael Clarke has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee from the first Test in Brisbane after the stump microphone picked up Australia's captain telling England's James Anderson to 'get ready for a f****** broken arm' when he came out to bat.
According to Metro.co.uk, there were numerous other heated verbal exchanges not picked up by the stump mics at The Gabba between the two archrivals, and Chappell believes that the rancourous series could end up in physical violence.
Stating that he was 'delighted' with Anderson, Chappell said that the only thing that disappointed him was that it took a No 11 to stand up for his rights, adding that as a batsman, a player is entitled to peace and quiet on the pitch and should not put up with the any 's***' going out on the field.
Rubbishing the notion that sledging is part of the game as 'the greatest load of b******* he had ever heard', Chappell called on the International Cricket Council to take a tougher line over the issue and said that if the ICC does not stop all the 'chatter' going on, the players may take matters in their own hands and get close to fisticuffs.