Dubai, March 11, 2012: Scotland batsman Fraser Watts has received one suspension point and a reprimand for two breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct during his side’s four-wicket defeat to United Arab Emirates in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship (WCL) in Sharjah on Friday.
Watts was charged with two offences, the first under article 2.1.4 of the code which relates to “using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an International Match”, Watts accepted the Level 1 charge of a reprimand and thus there was no need for a hearing on this charge.
The second charge leveled against Watts, under article 2.2.4 of the code which relates to “using inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between Players in the course of play during an International Match”. The Level 2 charge had been laid by the on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Buddhi Pradhan and related to an incident in the 29th over between Mr Watts and UAE captain Khurram Khan.
Watts pleaded not guilty to the latter offence and as such, under the terms of the code, ICC Regional Match Referee Graeme La Brooy held a hearing after the match, which was attended by the two on-field umpires, Watts and Scotland team manager Kenneth Godsman, in which he reached his decision. Watt’s one suspension point means the 32-year-old batsman will not be eligible to play in Scotland’s opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2012 against Kenya this Tuesday, 13 March, at the ICC Global Cricket Academy.
In the same match, UAE captain Khurram Khan was charged with a Level 1 offence and received a reprimand after he was found guilty of breaching Article 2.1.8 of the code which relates to “where the fact of the alleged incident are not adequately or clearly covered by any of the above offences, conduct that either: (a) is contrary to the spirit of the game; or (b) brings the game into disrepute”.
Khurram pleaded guilty to the charge laid by the two on-field umpires, Wilson and Pradhan and therefore a hearing was not required.
Upon reaching his decisions, Mr La Brooy said: “With regards to the Level 1 charges Mr Watts and Mr Khan both pleaded guilty to these charges and therefore no need for a hearing was required but I do hope that both players have learnt their lessons over the incident.
“In regards to the second charge to Mr Watts, I hope he has learnt that there is no place for this kind of behaviour in international cricket at any level and that equal respect of ones opponents both on and off the field is expected and thus, I felt it necessary to impose one suspension point penalty upon him. Furthermore, I hope that Mr Watts will learn from this incident and not behave in such a manner again.” —- ICC
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