Skerritt Lashes Back Over 'Women-in-Room'

It seems that West Indies manager Ricky Skerritt can't catch a break these days. On the heels of incessant criticisms over his handling of Brian Lara's illness, Skerritt is now accusing Sri Lankan police bodyguards of "high-handed and authoritative" behaviour after a move to crack down on women entering hotel rooms of players.

Skerritt's lawyers, in a letter to a local newspaper which today published a report of a police complaint, said that "interested parties" were trying to "sully the good name of our client," according to published reports.

According to an AFP report carried in the Sri Lanka media, police had said in a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that three women were found in the rooms of Skerritt and his computer operator, Garfield Smith, in violation of the strict ICC access control rules.

The tight regulations were aimed at preventing bookmakers or their agents coming into contact with the players taking part in the mini-world cup tournament.

"Our client, since his arrival in Sri Lanka, has repeatedly complained to the International Cricket Council's security officials about the behaviour and attitude of certain security personnel, assigned to the team hotel, who have been high handed, authoritative and officious in acting well beyond their scope of duty," Skerritt's law firm said in their letter to the newspaper.

"Our client has also had to admonish certain media personnel who were attempting to vilify certain members of the West Indian team and invade their privacy," Skerritt's lawyers added.

They said the report contained "absolute falsehoods and innuendos made deliberately with the intention of causing damage and embarrassment to our client's good name and reputation.

"The insinuation that three prostitutes were found in the rooms of our client and his colleague, Garfield Smith is false, mischievious and malicious." The police report to the ICC gave the names of the three women who were found in the rooms of the two men and said the authorities had begun an investigation to check if the women had a criminal record or were linked to bookies."

AFP said elite police units deployed to guard the teams taking part in the Champions Trophy tournament were having a tough time keeping out prostitutes in addition to crooked players and bookies, the authorities had said yesterday.

"We are not making a moral judgement but are simply trying to enforce the 'access control' guidelines issued to us by the cricket authorities," a top police official said.

Police said some of the players were leaving their hotel to side-step the tight security at the deluxe Taj Samudra where plain-clothed policemen have been deployed to check on those meeting the cricketers.

The Sunday Leader newspaper said players were seen trying to pick up women at the Taj Samudra and even two women reporters had been propositioned by unnamed players in the hotel lobby.