Australia's Adam Gilchrist should be applauded for his decision to walk in Tuesday's World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka, the Australian Sports Commission said on Wednesday.

Gilchrist was given not out by Rudi Koertzen after edging a sweep shot and seeing the ball loop to wicketkeeper Kumara Sangakkara.

The batsman ignored the umpire and headed towards the pavilion as Sri Lanka's stunned fieldsmen looked on at Port Elizabeth in South Africa.

Australia won the rain-affected match by 48 runs.

"Such behaviour is vital for the very integrity of sport and our sporting system," ASC chief executive Mark Peters said in a statement.

The Government-funded ASC administers grants to peak sporting bodies in Australia.

Australia's dominance in sports such as rugby union, rugby league, cricket and tennis has come at a price with some critics saying the ruthless approach of some of the country's top sportsmen has lacked a sense of fair play.

"I'm sure many of us have witnessed examples of poor behaviour on and off the sporting field, by players and spectators," Peters said.

"The personal values and social and behavioural skills once inherently learned through participation in sport have become less common."

Gilchrist's act, and a similar gesture from Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva against Zimbabwe on Saturday, might indicate that some players at least are starting to rediscover a conscience.

Gilchrist's captain Ricky Ponting said: "He knew he had got a bat on it and he didn't bother looking at the umpire.

"He just turned and walked off. I won't be encouraging any of our batsmen to do it. No, it's up to them."

Ponting added Gilchrist had not seen Koertzen mouth the words "not out".

The Age newspaper called Gilchrist's act "a display of honesty rarely seen on international cricket fields".

"This was a refreshing gesture from a quality player after the game reached new lows in Australia over recent summers, with batsmen who have clearly been caught hanging around for mostly inconclusive replays viewed by the third umpire," The Australian newspaper said.

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