Five days after Nasser Hussain called for discipline from his players following a turbulent Test Match in Galle, Darren Gough has become embroiled in an ugly confrontation with a Sri Lankan player at Welagedara Stadium today.

Gough, apparently not entirely enthused to be playing in this meaningless match, collided into Indika de Saram and tumbled onto the ground as he tried to prevent a single in his seventh over. Clearly furious he marched up to de Saram wagging his finger and swore at the batsman for blocking him. He then snatched his sunglasses from umpire T.M. Samarasinghe.

As he returned to his fielding position at third man Nasser Hussain pulled his premier fast bowler to the side and appeared to suggest that Gough leave the field to cool down. Gough denies this in a statement released to the media.

"Although it may have appeared otherwise to the spectators, I can honestly say that Nasser Hussain did not send me off the field following the incident. I had always intended to leave the field at the end of my spell as I was suffering from a stiff back and needed to get some treatment."

If this had been his honest intention then he had chosen a rather odd route because he was walking in the opposite direction to the dressing room.

Gough played down the incident: "I was upset because I felt that the batsman had intentionally impeded me as I was going for a run out. I was involved in a similar incident with a Sri Lankan player in Australia in 1999 and I did not want the same thing to happen again."

On his way to the dressing Gough then wagged his finger at umpire Samarasinghe. According to Gough: "I asked the umpire to warn the player because I did not want to get into a dispute with him."

The umpire played down the incident afterwards, refering to it as a case of "casual barging." Indika de Saram, however, confirmed that the players had collided and that Gough had verbally abused him. He said afterwards: "I don't speak very good English but I recognised the 'F' word."

This is not the first time that Gough has been involved in an unsavoury incident on the tour. He was reported to the Sri Lankan board during the first game in Colombo for abusively threatening two schoolboys after being given out.

The Colts XI coach, Hemanth Devpriya, pointed out afterwards that this was the second time that Gough had bad-mouthed one of his players. He will be speaking to the Sri Lankan board Chief Executive, Anura Tennekoon, about the matter.

Nasser Hussain played down the incident: "As far as I am concerned there was not an incident. I am amazed that there has been a statement released."

The England management said that they will be taking no action against Gough for his latest outburst.

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