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SYDNEY, Monday (AFP) - Australian skipper Steve Waugh has called for a revamp of cricket's code of conduct procedures after being prevented from giving his side of the story in a dissent charge.

Waugh was fined 5,500 dollars (2,300 US dollars) by International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Ranjan Madugalle for dissent when he stayed at the crease despite being given out for 90 in the second Test against South Africa in Melbourne on Friday.

The 144-Test campaigner said after Australia's nine-wicket win Saturday that he was prevented from commenting on the penalty but felt the local media had given him a harsh trial, saying he'd been "crucified" in the newspapers.

Waugh believes a change in the procedure is needed.

"I think they need to have a look at it," Waugh said Sunday.

"The whole system probably needs to be looked at. At this stage there's no comeback -- on a lot of occasions there's probably no reason to have any comeback either.

"But I'd have liked to put my point across -- I just have to cop it.

"I'm disappointed I can't say anything -- I'd love to have my say in the matter," Waugh said.

"It was a misunderstanding from my point of view. I read the papers and I wasn't overly pleased with what I read -- I thought it was a little bit unfair but you guys (media) can only write what you see. It wasn't as straightforward as what it appeared.

"From my point of view it was disappointing because there was a different side of the story that I'd love to put across but I can't."

English match referee Mike Denness was similarly prevented from commenting on his decision to hand out suspended bans to six Indian players, including one for ball-tampering against leading batsman and national hero Sachin Tendulkar, in last month's series against South Africa.

The ICC are considering whether to give players a right of appeal, whether there should be a code of conduct for referees, and whether referees should be allowed to explain their decisions to the media.

All this will be discussed at the next meeting of the ICC management committee meeting in March.

Waugh was slow to leave the field when given out by Australian umpire Darrell Hair and as a result was fined 50 percent of his match fee by Madugalle for dissent.

In handing down his penalty, Madugalle, the ICC's top match official, said there was no malice in Waugh's actions.

But he reminded Waugh of his responsibilities as a premier Test captain to "present the game in a good light".

It's the second time in Waugh's career he has been penalised for dissent.

He was fined 30 percent of his match fee which was suspended for three months after being found guilty of dissent in a tri-series one-day match against India in Colombo in 1996.

On that occasion he disputed a call over a wide ball.

Waugh's reluctance to leave did not go down well with his critics, particularly after he said earlier this season that his side would lead the way in world cricket in accepting the umpire's decision.

"We made a conscious effort from last year to accept every decision," Waugh said last month.

"If you're given out when it's not out, then bad luck. If you're given not out when it's out, then it's your good luck. But you accept all decisions."

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