Jeff Crowe in middle of cricket sledging drama

Jeff Crowe was the Match Referee of the first test between South Africa and Australia. Photo /Getty

Former New Zealand cricketer Jeff Crowe is in the hot seat around the spiteful first test between Australia and South Africa in Durban.

The conduct of everybody involved in the match is under the microscope, including the umpires.

Crowe, as match referee has until tomorrow night to level charges after David Warner and Quinton de Kock's extraordinary altercation, in which Australia's enraged vice-captain was physically restrained by teammates, after de Kock allegedly made insulting comments about his wife.

The International Cricket Council is yet to reveal any sanctions from the game, with the exception of Nathan Lyon being fined 15 per cent of his match fee for a send-off of AB de Villiers. The sport's governing body can also charge players, as was the case when ICC chief David Richardson booked Faf du Plessis for using a mint to shine the ball in Hobart.

Crowe has already warned both camps about the need to play the game in the right spirit.

Warner and de Kock are obviously under the pump to behave better, but Simon Katich is among those pondering whether umpires Sundaram Ravi and Kumar Dharmasena could have done more to extinguish the blow-up when it was starting to catch fire.

"This is where the umpires need to step in as soon as they start to hear stuff," former Australia opener Katich told ESPNcricinfo, having called the match.

"Give the warnings to the skippers and get the skippers to control it.

"That obviously hasn't happened, and now it is tit for tat with the teams blaming each other for who started it.

"It's a shame because what happened on the field obviously lit the fuse for then what has happened off the field. It has overshadowed what was a fantastic test."

Former South Africa spinner Paul Harris agreed on both counts, saying "the umpires might need to have a bit more of a say".

Du Plessis expressed similar sentiments to Katich in his post-match press conference.

Ravi and Dharmasena delivered few lectures in the first test, with the exception of rebuking Kagiso Rabada for his send-off of Warner on day three. Katich noted it was important Crowe now "nips this in the bud".

"If it is allowed to keep going on, then things are going to get out of control as we saw in the tunnel," he said.

"I look back on my time and I think things might have been pretty tame compared to this stuff."

The second test that starts in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Ravi will be on third-umpire duty when South Africa attempt to level the series, with Dharmasena in control alongside Chris Gaffaney.
AAP