Cricket: Ponting defuses racism claims

MELBOURNE - It's been revealed Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting's confrontation with South African skipper Graeme Smith in the tunnel at the MCG yesterday was to defuse a possible racism row.

Injured South African tailender Makhaya Ntini had taken offence to a jibe from Australian legspinner Shane Warne who urged his team to "get this John Blackman out" when he hobbled to the crease.

Warne's comment was a reference to former Hey Hey It's Saturday voice-over man John Blackman, and his puppet creation Dicky Knee.

But Ntini, South Africa's first black test player, reportedly took offence to Warne's comment and replied: "Enough of the black."

Warne had been inspired to use the play on words to describe the injured Ntini by a visit to the Australian dressing room by Blackman during the test.

Ponting did not go into details when asked about his animated discussion with Smith, but the Australians were reportedly angry at the suggestion of racism.

"It was nothing to do with the game actually," he said.

"It was a little bit of a thing we had to clear up from today.

"It wasn't an incident. There were a few words spoken on the ground that I wanted to clarify."

Asked if racism had come into it, Ponting replied "No."

The Australian skipper reportedly continued the discussion with Smith in the South African dressing room afterwards.

Both Ntini and South Africa coach Mickey Arthur were quoted as saying they were satisfied with the discussions.

"It was nothing much really," Ntini told News Limited.

"We're happy with it. We understand it wasn't racist, we don't have a problem with it," Arthur told Fairfax.

Despite an escalating war of words between the camps during the series, both captains said their relationship was solid and that there was no bad blood between them.

- AAP