Danish Kaneria looks to be a fine bowler, but he should have been fined for the send-off he gave Damien Martin in Melbourne. It's was no surprise he's been pinged in Sydney.
Michael Clarke embarked on his first Test innings at the SCG buoyed by the cheers of a 35,000-strong home crowd. Thirty-five runs later, Clarke departed to a profanity-laced send-off from Danish Kaneria - a taunt that cost the Pakistani leg spinner his entire match fee and earned a reprimand.
After deceiving Clarke in flight, allowing wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to complete the simplest of stumpings, Kaneria apparently told the 23-year-old batsman to "f--- off" as he strode from the playing surface. The taunt was promptly reported by umpires Billy Bowden, David Shepherd and Steve Davis, who referred the matter to match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
At a post-match hearing, Madugalle deemed Kaneria's actions serious enough to warrant a level two breach of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, resulting in a $2000 fine and a severe reprimand. Danish had already committed 25 per cent of his match fee to the victims of last week's tsunami disaster in Asia.
After the Melbourne test Mike Coward wrote a piece on Kaneria. But made no mention of the Indian's tendency to carry on like a clown.
You don't have to think very hard to imagine the response if it was an Australian doing likewise.
APART from Danish Kaneria's wife of a few months and a few social intimates, not a soul knows much about his taste in suits, cars, aftershave, motorbikes and then some.
In stark contrast to extroverted paceman Shoaib Akhtar, whose life on and off the field is the stuff of soap opera, Kaneria is quietly making his way in the cricket world.
Of course, he is a fine leg-spinner quietly perfecting a range of complex and subtle skills that will serve him well in the future.
While Shoaib's visage will adorn newspapers everywhere again this morning on the strength of another five-wicket haul yesterday from a variation of runways, Kaneria also took five wickets and deserves the highest commendation.