Martyn's finger folly

Damien Martyn has had a few problems on the pitch this season after a run of low scores, and his troubles continued for a different reason when he was reprimanded by Ricky Ponting, the captain, for making a rude gesture in public.

Leaving the Australian team hotel at Melbourne yesterday, he stuck one finger up in front of a cameraman. Michael Brown, the board's head of operations, requested to see the footage, but he was satisfied the matter should be handled within the team.

"I acknowledge he didn't mean to cause offence," Ponting said. "But his action was inappropriate and not fitting of an Australian player and ambassador for the game."

Martyn was understandably keen to draw a line under what happened. "I am sorry for the offence caused by the gesture and apologise to the public who have seen it on TV," he said. "My action was in no way pre-meditated, nor did I did I mean for it to cause any harm."

Martyn has been under increasing pressure after disappointing performances with the bat. However, he showed signs he had turned the corner with a quickfire 42 against Zimbabwe in the VB Series on Thursday before the match was rained off.

Adam Gilchrist, currently leading the side in place of Ponting, who is taking some time out, insisted he did not know any details of the incident, and gave Martyn his backing. "He seems in pretty good spirits today and I do know he got a pretty well compiled 40 the other day at about a run a ball and that will improve his spirits," Gilchrist said. "There is no doubt that he has had a lot of focus on him and nobody likes that intense scrutiny."