Azhar terms Aussies 'uncivilized'

Former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin has slammed the Australian team for its "uncivilized" conduct during the presentation ceremony of the Champions Trophy and called for an unconditional apology from Cricket Australia.

"No guest would abuse the hospitality in the manner the Australians did the other night at the end of the Champions Trophy. It should completely embarrass the Australian cricket public and their board," the former batsman said.

Azharuddin, fighting to have his life ban from the game lifted, said Pawar had shown magnanimity in downplaying the incident but the world champions deserved a rap on the knuckles for their behaviour.

"It was magnanimous on the part of Pawar to have underplayed the incident. He showed a lot of civility, which unfortunately can't be said about the world champions.

"It doesn't matter how big you are as a cricketer if you can't observe the basic ethos of this great game. It was not gentlemanly and certainly not cricket," he added.

Azharuddin said he was shocked to see Australian captain Ricky Ponting first point his finger at Pawar and then the rest of his mates literally nudge the Indian Cricket Board's President down the dais.