Cricket Australia on Thursday apologised for a tweet on its official Twitter account referencing England spinner Monty Panesar with a photo of four bearded men wearing turbans and dressed as Teletubbies.

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CA apologises for Monty Panesar Teletubbies tweet

Cricket Australia on Thursday apologised for a tweet on its official Twitter account referencing England spinner Monty Panesar with a photo of four bearded men wearing turbans and dressed as Teletubbies. (Getty Images)

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Posted just ahead of the start of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, the Cricket Australia tweet read: "Will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?!" (Getty Images)

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It sparked claims of racism, and CA moved quickly to remove the offending item and apologise. (Getty Images)

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"We apologise for any offence caused with our previous tweet. That was certainly not the intention. It has been removed," CA said in a subsequent tweet about the photo of the men, dressed as the popular children's television characters. (Getty Images)

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The original tweet prompted a backlash by Twitter users, with one saying "Looks like @CricketAus left an idiot in charge of their Twitter machine" and another blasting it as "casual racism". (Getty Images)

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The controversial tweet comes just days after a ground announcer in Alice Springs was stood down after he allegedly introduced Panesar in an Indian accent during England's tour match last weekend. (Getty Images)

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