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London - England cricketer Kevin Pietersen was fined on Monday for making a profane comment on Twitter after discovering he had been dropped by his country for the first time.
The England and Wales Cricket Board fined Pietersen after he admitted to two charges at a disciplinary hearing at Lord's. The batsman apologised to the ECB and the England team management.
"The hearing considered his comments to be prejudicial to the interests of Team England and ECB and a significant breach of the England player conditions of employment," the ECB said in a statement. "He has been fined an undisclosed sum."
Pietersen had already apologised for the content of his message, which was quickly deleted ahead of the official squad announcement for two Twenty20s and five one-day internationals against Pakistan.
Pietersen is one of several cricketers to attract unwanted attention for his use of the micro blogging site.
England under-19 captain Azeem Rafiq was disciplined for swearing on the site in July and former England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas did likewise on Sunday when he aimed barbed comments at England national selector Geoff Miller.
Mascarenhas was fined $1 540 by county side Hampshire on Monday.
"The fine has been set at this high level as I feel there is little point in imposing a ban, given the long-term nature of his injury," Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove said. "As club captain, he understands that his actions carry more responsibility than others."
England bowler Stuart Broad said that players know they will attract attention with their comments, especially if they are opinionated.
"You go on Twitter to put yourself out there, get in the public domain and let your voice be heard," Broad said. "But the players are aware of the responsibilities you have. If you write something controversial, you know it's going to make headlines."
Australia opener batsman Phillip Hughes upset team management on last year's Ashes tour of England when he announced that he had been dropped before the third test at Edgbaston.
Captain Ricky Ponting has said that Cricket Australia encourages its players to use social networking tools to help promote the game to a younger audience.
But the drawback is that players can pursue unsavory themes.
Broad does not use Twitter, but said his England teammates Graeme Swann and James Anderson use it in the right way.
"Swanny and Jimmy have embraced the Twitter thing very well," Broad said. "They have good banter, not that I see it, but people talk about it in the changing room and laugh about it.
"What they do well is not make statements about teams - they use it as a joke and don't write mundane, boring things. Jimmy and Swanny are examples of good Tweeters, if there is such a thing."
