Announcer seeks CA's clarification

 The ground announcer who was stood down for allegedly introducing England spinner Monty Panesar in a mock Indian accent, is seeking clarification from Cricket Australia (CA) over his removal after denying any slur was made.

CA had deemed the conduct of David Nixon, a producer for local broadcaster ABC, at the Alice Springs ground as inappropriate and withdrew him during the second day of England’s two-day warm-up match against a Chairman’s XI.

Left-arm spinner Panesar was born in Luton and is of Indian descent.

“It comes as a complete surprise to me to be at the centre of a controversy about racial slurring, and I absolutely refute any allegation that I feigned an Indian accent,” Nixon said in a statement, according to an ABC report on Monday.

“‘There’s a change of bowler at the Traeger Avenue end... its Montyyy!’ That was it. I fail to see how anyone could interpret my introduction of Monty Panesar as racial slurring.

“I am certainly responsible for what I say, but not what people hear.”

Nixon admitted he had been warned by a CA official for some of his comments but insisted the Panesar issue was never raised.

“Upon arriving back at my post after the lunch break on day two, I was met by a Cricket Australia representative who politely said words to the effect of ‘We think that your personal style conflicts with ours and so we’ve relieved you for the afternoon’,” he said.