At least there was no mobile phone involved. 
http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200608/s1709585.htmFormer Australian Test cricketer Dean Jones has apologised for calling South African Muslim cricketer Hashim Amla a "terrorist" while commentating on air.
Jones was heard to say "the terrorist has got another wicket" when Proteas fielder Amla caught Kumar Sangakkara during the fourth day of the second Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Monday.
Jones was subsequently sacked by TEN Sports, the Dubai-based TV company covering the series.
An official for TEN Sports told AFP that Jones had been asked to return home following a complaint from Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola.
"We have taken the matter very seriously and may issue a statement later on Tuesday," the official said. "But I can confirm Deano has gone home."
Jones, 45, told reporters before his early morning departure today that he regretted the comment and would send an apology to Amla.
"It was a silly and completely insensitive thing to say and, obviously, it was never supposed to be heard over the air," Jones said.
"I am truly sorry to have caused offence to anybody and the last thing I intended was to be disrespectful.
"Everyone needs to get away from perpetuating the myth, publicly and privately, that beards associated with the Muslim faith are somehow suspicious, and I intend to do exactly that.
"The irony is that I am great friends with most of the Pakistan team and they are all Muslims.
"I have no end of respect for the Muslim faith - that's why I'm so sorry at making such a stupid comment.
"It does not represent who I am, how I think or what I believe.
"I will be the first person to apologise to Hashim as soon as I get the chance, and I will assure him that prejudice against anybody, on any basis, is unacceptable and not something I will ever condone."
The CSA's Mr Majola had demanded Jones's suspension and apology in a statement issued in Johannesburg on Monday night.
"We take the strongest exception to this comment and will lodge an official complaint with the host broadcaster, TEN Sports, that employs him," Mr Majola said in the statement.
"We will be asking for his immediate suspension and a full apology.
"The switchboards of both Cricket SA and SuperSport that takes a feed of the broadcast to South African audiences have been jammed with calls from some very angry people.
"This kind of racial stereotyping has no place in cricket and must be stamped on swiftly," Mr Majola added, saying he will also report the matter to the International Cricket Council.
Jones played 52 Tests and 164 one-day internationals for Australia between 1984 and 1994 and was named the Wisden cricketer of the year in 1990.
-AFP
http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200608/s1710117.htm'Terrorist' cricketer accepts Jones' apologySouth African cricketer Hashim Amla has accepted an apology from Australian commentator Dean Jones, who called him a "terrorist" live on air.
Amla's management company Boundary Breakers released a statement saying that Jones called the South African soon after the slur went to air during commentary on the second Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
The statement said Jones apologised directly and his apology was accepted.
A contrite Jones described his moment of madness to reporters after landing in his hometown of Melbourne late on Tuesday following his sacking from the commentary job.
"I waited four or five seconds and I just turned around and made a stupid, ridiculous off-the-wall comment that unfortunately was picked up in the background and, as television people always know, the microphone is always live," Jones said.
However, he also appeared to suggest there was an element of bad luck to the affair, adding: "There was only one country in the world that didn't take the ad break live and that was South Africa. It was picked up by a few viewers."
Jones, 45, said he had written a full-page apology to Amla and the South African team, and confirmed he had said sorry to the bowler directly.
"I got hold of Hashim Amla and I spoke to him for a certain amount of time," he said. "I gave him my sincerest apologies and he was gracious enough to accept it.
"He said 'I hope you get through this ugly situation that you are going through'."
-ABC/AFP
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