Image courtesy of: Zimbio

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have reprimanded announcer Mark McLeod for playing a cash register sound effect when Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir was bowling during the third Twenty20 International on Friday.

Amir recently finished serving a five-year ban for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal in 2010 and NZC CEO David White confirmed that McLeod had apologised to the Pakistan team for his actions.

“I think [playing the sound effect] was inappropriate and disrespectful, and has the effect of trivialising one of the biggest issues facing cricket at the moment,” White told Fairfax New Zealand. “I’ve contacted the Pakistan team management to apologise, and to assure them there will be no repeat.”

During the first ODI in Wellington on Monday, Pakistan’s team management said that there was a spectator who flashed money and jewellery at the Pakistan players.

Batsman Mohammad Hafeez told the team’s security personnel about the spectator and he was subsequently asked to stop, but was not removed from the ground.

Speaking about the incident, White told Radio Sport: “A member of the public in the stands having a bit of banter and humour – it’s different. We can’t direct people how to behave all the time. There’s a line of drunken disorderly abusive behaviour but stadiums are full of people in groups together, around the world there is banter. I guess there is the line that people need to stay within.”