David Campese has apologised for suggesting Australian cricketer Fawad Ahmed should "go home" for not wanting to wear a beer sponsor's logo on his national team shirt.
The Australian rugby union great caused controversy with his comments made on Twitter last week in relation to Cricket Australia's (CA) decision to allow Pakistan-born Ahmed not to wear the VB logo because of his Islamic beliefs.
CA chief executive James Sutherland labelled the comments "bigoted" while World Cup winner Campese was suspended by a South African television station as a rugby pundit pending an inquiry into the remarks.
Campese said sorry on Twitter on Monday night, revealing he would be contacting the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) to pass on an apology to Ahmed.
"Just like to say sorry for a comments. It is about sport and never has or will be about religion. Any who knows me can tell you that," Campese tweeted.
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"I will be ringing the ACA to say sorry and to pass my message on. Sport is about team work and team.that was my point. Sorry again."
Campese's remarks came after cricket great Doug Walters said Ahmed shouldn't be picked for Australia if he was opposed to wearing the team uniform.
"Well said doug. Tell him to go home," Campese said in a tweet.
Former Pakistani refugee Ahmed had his Australian citizenship fast-tracked to allow him to play for his adopted nation. The legspinner has impressed on the one-day tour of the UK and is expected to push for Ashes selection.
Ahmed's teammates in England have insisted they have no problem with him not wearing the logo on his shirt and vice-captain George Bailey said the spinner had not been affected by the controversy.
"I think he's probably had to deal with a lot more important things than what's on the front of his shirt," Bailey said.
Campese is a rugby pundit for SuperSport, but the South African station said he had been stood down pending an inquiry expected to be concluded in the next few days.
