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ADELAIDE, Australia, Thursday, (AFP) - A quip by Australian captain Stephen Waugh on fast bowler Steve Elworthy's brain scan has angered the travelling South African media and forced the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) to defend him.

Elworthy was struck by a Glenn McGrath bouncer, the ball cracking him on the helmet beside his temple, during South Africa's eight-wicket one-day loss to Australia in Sydney on Tuesday.

He later went to hospital for scans which Pollock said had initially detected no serious injury.

As South Africa captain Shaun Pollock told a post-match news conference that the scan had cleared Elworthy of serious injury, Waugh was overheard to remark to ACB media manager Brian Murgatroyd: "Yeah, and I bet they didn't find a brain either."

South African journalists were highly critical of Waugh, describing the remark as "callous" and "insensitive".

"When you say it as coldly as that it can come across as a bit offensive," South Africa selector Mike Proctor was quoted as saying in the Herald Sun newspaper on Thursday.

"Knowing Steve Waugh, he's a good guy but the timing was wrong. I know our journalists are taken aback by it."

A South African team spokesperson said: "I can accept it was intended as a joke but the timing and the circumstances were unfortunate."

The ACB Thursday moved to support their captain with Murgatroyd saying: "Steve is the last person to relish it when a fellow player is injured.

"He was also the first to Elworthy after he had been hit by the ball."

Australia play New Zealand in the next match in the triangular one-day series here on Saturday, with South Africa playing the Kiwis here on Sunday. 

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