Cricket Australia have apologised for a tweet that supposedly mocked the heritage of England spinner Monty Panesar.

A picture of four men wearing turbans and dressed as the Teletubbies was posted on the governing body's Twitter feed during the second Ashes Test in Adelaide with the caption: "Will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?!"

It triggered an angry backlash from fans and former players alike, with former Three Lions captain Michael Vaughan responding: "Awful from @CricketAus".

The tweet has now been deleted and Cricket Australia have released a statement saying that they are sorry.

"We apologise for any offence caused with our previous tweet," said the body. "That was certainly not the intention. It has been removed."

The Aussies got into lunch on day one for the loss of just one wicket.

You can follow all the live action with Sports Mole by clicking here.