Morton Banned; Best & Benn Fined
Tue, Nov 12, '02
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has slapped a one-year ban
on Leeward Islands batsman Runako Morton after its disciplinary
committee found him guilty of breaching the board's code of
conduct.
The board announced that Morton was banned with immediate effect
for one year from participating in all cricket matches held under
the auspices of or involving the WICB. He was also fined 10 percent
of his tour fee for the 'A' team trip to the U.K and Canada.
Two other players -- Barbadians Sulieman Benn and Tino Best --
were also fined the maximum allowable 10 percent tour fee for
on-field misconduct on the 'A' team tour. The three were
grilled by the disciplinary committee in early October on the
misconduct.
But it was Morton who got the brunt of the punishment, specifically
because he quit the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka after telling
the West Indies team management that his grandmother had died.
Subsequently, it was learnt that one of Morton's grandmothers died
16 years ago and the other is still alive.
In announcing the ban, the board said: "Morton was found guilty of
engineering an early departure from the senior West Indies team
tour to the International Cricket Council Champions Trophy series
in Sri Lanka last September under false pretences, through methods
to which the player has admitted, thereby bringing himself into
disrepute."
The WICB further mandated that Morton must seek and receive
professional counselling to correct the problems he is currently
experiencing with the requisite assistance coming from the WICB
through the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA).
"At the end of the suspension period, Morton will have to submit to
the WICB cogent evidence that he underwent the counselling and is
fit to resume participating in WICB sanctioned cricket matches,"
the board added.