Many cricketing nations take stern action over discipline breaches

LAHORE: While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has just called back chief selector Moin Khan for dining at a Christchurch casino instead of initiating a rather iron-fisted action against him, many cricketing countries have shown zero tolerance towards disciplinary issues and have even gone on to sack key officials, besides have penalized their ace players for breaching the general code of conduct, writes Sabir Shah.
Here follow just a handful of examples that readily come to mind in this context:In June 2013, Australian Cricket Coach Mickey Arthur was sacked for breaching certain discipline-related barriers.
He was in charge of South Africa from 2005 to 2010, leading them to a first series victory in England for 43 years and a maiden series win in Australia. Following a fall-out with the national board, Arthur quit the post in January 2010 and later coached Western Australia.
Despite his sacking and subsequent out-of-court financial settlement with Cricket Australia, Arthur had no hard feelings. In March 2013, four Aussie players - vice-captain Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson and Usman Khawaja – were dropped for the third Test of the tour to India for failing to submit presentations on team strategy. Mickey Arthur had sent these four players home midway through the series.
In early 1989, Indian Cricket captain Dilip Vengsarkar was sacked for plying an exhibition match in United States without his board’s permission.
In May 2013, star Australian opening batsman David Warner was fined Australian $11,500 for posting abusive comments to journalists on his Twitter account.
In June 2013, David Warner was suspended by Australia until first Ashes Test and fined £7,000 for punching English player Joe Root on a night out in a club.
Celebrated Aussie all-rounder Andrew Symonds spent most of the time out of the team, since mid-2008, due to disciplinary reasons, including alcohol.
In June 2009, he was sent home from the 2009 World Twenty20, his third suspension, expulsion or exclusion from selection in the space of a year.
His central contract was then withdrawn, and many cricket analysts speculated that the Australian administrators would no longer tolerate him, and that Symonds might announce his retirement.
In February 2012, Symonds had announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, in an attempt to concentrate on his family life.
Fantastic English batsman Kevin Pietersen was suspended for the third Test against South Africa after it emerged that he had been sending messages on Blackberry messenger to members of the opposition. He admits to agreeing in one message that Strauss was behaving like an “idiot.”
“Daily Telegraph” states: “Pietersen says Strauss and Andy Flower were suspicious of his relationship with the South African side and he says he had more friends inside the opposition dressing room because the atmosphere within the England team was so hostile.” The existence of the messages was eventually leaked to the media and Pietersen was banned from the side and had to apologise to his team-mates before being famously “reintegrated” into the side. Pietersen accuses the ECB of using the messages “as evidence of my open rebellion.” Last year Strauss wrote about how Pietersen “crossed the line” with the messages to the South African side. But Pietersen claims Strauss “milked it.”
In July 2014, stylish Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib-al-Hassan was suspended from all cricket for six months and would not be granted an NOC to play in overseas competitions until the end of 2015.
The punishment was handed out because of Shakib’s “serious misbehaviour” with Bangladesh’s new coach Hathurasinghe and for his altercation with a spectator during the first ODI against India in Mirpur. He had shown a disregard for protocol by leaving the dressing room to get hold of the spectator.
In August 2010, Sri Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv had intentionally bowled a no ball to Indian opener Virender Sehwag —then on 99 — that ensured a victory for India in the ODI, while denying Sehwag a chance to score a century.
Sehwag had hit the ball for six, but as the winning run was registered as soon as the umpire signaled no ball, Sehwag’s shot was deemed to have been made after the end of the match.
Randiv later apologised to Sehwag for use of the tactic; he was docked his match fees for the game and handed a one match suspension by Sri Lanka Cricket Board.
In August 2014, Zimbabwe fast bowler Tinashe Panyangara paid the price for sharing a video with teammates on social media app, Whatsapp chat, of Johnson in action against England during the last Ashes series.
Sending around the video of Johnson’s bouncers, and implying Zimbabwe’s batsmen might be in for a tough time against the quickest man in world cricket, has been deemed worthy of a $1,000 fine and being stood down for the rest of the tri-series.
Several media outlets reported its distribution cost him his place in the side and the fine.The Zimbabwe team’s disciplinary committee had found the side’s most experienced seamer “disruptive in the build-up to the first ODI of the triangular series.”
Zimbabwe team’s best player Brendan Taylor was also suspended on disciplinary grounds.In November 23008, the two former internationals, Chris Cairs and Dinesh Mongia, were dismissed from an Indian Cricket League franchise “Chandigarh Lions” allegedly failing to declare injuries and hence violating the terms of their contracts.
In May 2008, West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels was banned for two years after being found guilty of breaking rules designed to stop players betting on matches. The West Indies Cricket Board said Samuels had “received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game into disrepute.”