PTI

Cape Town, Jan 1: Temperamental paceman S Sreesanth was on Saturday rebuked by his own captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his verbal spat with rival captain Graeme Smith, who accused the Indian speedster of crossing the line by "bringing in family and personal things".

While Dhoni said that Sreesanth should learn to control himself and not cross the line, Smith disclosed that the Kerala pacer had become personal during his verbal exchange during the second Test in Durban and had stepped over the mark.

Giving details about the unsavoury episode, Smith said "I think pretty much every series you play, guys would like to have a go at you. Its just that through out my 90 Tests, I have played many Tests and it hasn't been that aggressive... You stop by bringing families and few personal things into the game. May be you are crossing the line".

Asked whether the altercation will mar the relationship between the two team, he said "No, not between the teams. It's one individual that has caused a few hassles and maybe crossed the line in certain ways. Both the teams are mature and we have dealt with - even myself and MS - there is a lot of respect for both teams,"

However, the South African captain didn't want to divulge whether they would take up the issue with the match referee.

"Look that's stuff I don't really want to get into. If we have a concern, we raise it with the ICC and the match referee, not in press conferences," he quipped.

Smith feels that two teams can remain competitive without even crossing the line.

"I think it's going to be competitive, and that's what everyone wants to see. No one wants to step over that mark as it has been at times. We all need to take the responsibility to play the game in the right way," the Proteas skipper said.

His Indian counterpart Dhoni also admitted that it's difficult to control Sreesanth at times.

"It's quite difficult to control Sreesanth. Hopefully, he will be on the right side this time, and if he's suppose to say something, say something that's not very personal and to the point," the Indian captain said.

"When you are representing your country, you try your best to win games, but as I always say, certain guidelines need to be followed. You always have to be on the right side of that line," Dhoni said.