India's cricket great Sunil Gavaskar escalated his war of words with Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Tuesday, saying the Aussies could pay for their bad behaviour.

Gavaskar, who had earlier described Ponting's men as "unpopular winners" because of their "awful" behaviour on the field, said they may not get away if they behaved the same way in a bar.

"Some day, some other hot head guy might actually get down and you know whack somebody who abuses him," Gavaskar said in a television programme on ESPN-Star.

Gavaskar said the behaviour of some of the cricketers could land them in trouble and cited the example of former Australian Test batsman David Hookes, who died two years ago in a scuffle outside a Melbourne bar.

"There's the example of the late David Hookes," he said. "Would the Australians who use that kind of language on the field - and not all of them do - in a bar, get away with it?

"Would they have a fist coming at their face or not?"

Ponting, preparing to lead his country's defence of the World Cup title in the Caribbean, had hit out at Gavaskar on Monday for suggesting his team behaved rudely on the field.

"We all know the way he played his cricket, don't we?," said Ponting, referring to India's near walk-out during a Test match against Australia in Melbourne in 1981 after captain Gavaskar was given out leg-before.

"I don't mind if 'Mr Perfect' comes out and goes on about our team, I know we are all not perfect.

"We are not going to keep everyone happy 100 percent of the time. But for some of these guys that have done it all themselves, it's pretty high and mighty for them to say that."

Gavaskar, who heads the International Cricket Council's powerful cricket committee, defended his decision to almost concede the Test match to Australia with the walk-out in 1981.

"The reason the walk off took place was simply because I was abused by the Australians," he said.

The verbal duel between Gavaskar and Ponting has spiced up the World Cup that begins later on Tuesday with the first match between the West Indies and Pakistan in Jamaica.

Defending champions Australia and 2003 finalists India will clash in the Super Eights' round on March 31, provided both teams pass the first round as expected.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)