Umpire Ian Gould tries to calm things as Shahid Afridi and Gautam Gambhir engage in a verbal duel © AFP Enlarge

Shahid Afridi and Gautam Gambhir have been fined for their on-field altercation during the third ODI in Kanpur.

Roshan Mahanama, the match referee, fined Afridi 95% of his match fee while Gambhir's fine was 65% of his fee, for breaching the ICC's Code of Conduct.

The players were charged under two counts: "Conduct unbecoming to their status which could bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute" and "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players in the course of play."

The incident occurred when Afridi was bowling to Gambhir. A verbal spat followed after Gambhir hit Afridi for a four, and the next ball the players collided while Gambhir ran for a single. A heated argument followed and was brought to a halt only after on-field umpire Ian Gould's intervention.

"Both players pleaded not guilty to the charges but even if the collision between them was viewed as an accident I still felt it was inappropriate," Mahanama said. "On top of that, there was a build-up to that incident and then they stood toe-to-toe arguing in mid-pitch immediately afterwards."