Dubai , 26 June 2008Punishment lifted from Level 2 to Level 3 because of repeat offence within 12 months
England captain Paul Collingwood has received a four-match ban following his side’s failure to bowl its overs in the required time during the match against New Zealand at The Oval, London on Wednesday.
As a result, he will miss the final ODI of the current series against New Zealand, the ODI against Scotland in Edinburgh on 18 August, the Twenty20 International against South Africa on 20 August at Chester-le-Street and the first ODI of the seven-match series against the Proteas, on 22 August at Leeds.
The player met with Emirates Elite Panel ICC Match Referee Javagal Srinath on Thursday afternoon where his punishment was determined. A four-ODI or two-Test ban is the minimum punishment allowable under the Level 3 grade.
A deficit of more than two overs in an ODI brings with it an automatic Level 2 charge against the captain involved, but if that captain has already been charged and found guilty of the same offence within the preceding 12 months then the penalty imposed is elevated to Level 3.
The previous occasion within that time period that England was more than two overs short of its required over-rate was against India in Bristol on 24 August last year. On that occasion the team was (as at The Oval on Wednesday) three overs down and Collingwood was fined 50 per cent of his match fee.
On Wednesday, England was ruled to be three overs short of its target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
The regulations also state that players shall be docked five per cent of their match fees for every over short of the required mark, with the captain being fined double.
As such, each England player is fined 15 per cent of his match fee for the deficit but Collingwood escapes a financial penalty as his punishment has come in the form of the ban instead.
The offence under which Collingwood was charged is contained within section J 5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Officials which relates to slow over-rates.
The full ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Officials can be found at
http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/about-icc/rules-regulations.html
A player found guilty of a Level 2, 3 or 4 offence has a right of appeal. Such an appeal must be lodged in writing with the ICC’s legal counsel within 24 hours of the player receiving the sanction. Any player who lodges an appeal is free to play pending that hearing.
The charge was laid by all four umpires – the on-field officials Steve Davis and Mark Benson, television umpire Richard Kettleborough and fourth official Peter Hartley.
All four umpires were present at the hearing on Wednesday night, along with the player, England team operations manager Phil Neale and coach Peter Moores.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE