David Warner dropped by Australia after punching England's Joe Root following row over fake beard and wig The England players were enjoying their first night off since May 12 and it is understood there had been no interaction between the two groups until the flare-up occurred. Warner was pulled away by his Australia team-mate Clint McKay and the small group of England players there, including Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes, immediately left the bar. Sources have indicated that Warner contacted Root the following day to apologise and admitted his behaviour was "totally inappropriate." Warner now faces the real possibility of being sent home from the Ashes tour in disgrace as Cricket Australia contemplate what disciplinary action to take against the opening batsman. In 2005 and 2009 Australia sent home Andrew Symonds for alcohol-related incidents, setting a precedent for a severe punishment for Warner - a player who has been in trouble before. Warner was fined £3,600 for a twitter row with two Australian cricket journalists before the tour started. Root, meanwhile, has been netting with the England players at the Oval this morning in preparation for Thursday's ICC Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka. The ECB issued a statement clearing Root of any blame: "Warner has admitted behaving inappropriately and has since apologised to the player involved who has accepted the apology. Following a full investigation, the England team management has concluded that the England player was in no way responsible for nor retaliated to the attack. The ECB added that Warner's fate was now "a matter for Cricket Australia." England captain Alastair Cook was not in the bar in Birmingham when the altercation took place, but he did confirm a "couple" of squad members were present. He was disappointed with Warner's conduct and insisted neither Root, nor any of his team-mates, had done anything wrong. He said: "We are clearly disappointed that the incident has happened, but after investigating it from our side, we don't believe we have done anything wrong. It's a shame it has happened, in some way it has marred what was a very good win for us. Our conduct in the England team is vitally important. We are aware of our position and responsibilities. Cook added: "It is important to let your hair down, to help team spirit. Joe seems fine. There is certainly no physical injury. He just wants to bury the issue. Clearly this is unfortunate but he wants to put it behind him. It was not an offical ICC function and I was not there, so I'm hearing this all second hand. Walkabout manager John Creighton was also asked about the incident, saying: "Our barstaff are quite familiar with David Warner's face, that is true. David Warner and Joe Root were in the VIP area. There was a small altercation. Both were chatting to each other afterwards. Warner picked up the tab and the players left 10 minutes after the incident. A punch was thrown but we believe that the punch did not connect.