September 8, 2003	Monday	Rajab 10, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

MULTAN, Sept 7: Pakistan captain Rashid Latif will miss the entire limited-overs series against Bangladesh after South African Match Referee Mike Procter on Sunday found him guilty of serious misconduct during the third and final cricket Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium, and subsequently clamping a five-match ODI ban on the 34-year-old wicket-keeper.

Rashid will be eligible for selection for the home series against South Africa, which begins with the first of three one-dayers at Karachi on Sept 26, followed later by three Tests.

Announcing the verdict at a press conference Procter said: “There was a charge laid under Level 4 of the ICC’s code of conduct by Bangladesh manager Mr Latif Khan on the penalties C-1 which are unfair play and C-2 which conduct that brings the game into disrepute. “Since the International Cricket Council (ICC) view things clearly with certain areas under strict light and one of these areas is obviously over-rated these days, that the role of a captain who shoulders a lot of responsibility. As I said the Bangladesh manager had leveled a Level 4 charge, I had my jurisdiction to overrule that. At the end of the day, what I decided to do and felt it is to constitute the offence as Level 3.

“As Level 3 punishment, therefore, my decision is that Pakistan captain Rashid Latif shall be banned for five One-day Internationals. As we all know, it’s a very serious offence. I realize this is an important decision I have to make for the sake of world cricket and for Pakistan cricket,” he added.

The ICC match referee added that Rashid has the right to appeal against the ban.

Procter, who turns 57 next week, admitted that he considered a lot of factors before reaching a decision. “The mitigation of the Pakistan captain, one being the contribution of Rashid Latif and that he has done a lot of good services for Pakistan cricket.

“I suppose there may be a view that I am lenient to him, but I have done what I think is right. I realize people make mistakes in life. He has his ban, after that he can carry on playing.

According to ICC Players’ Code of Conduct, the penalty under Level 3 carries a ban of two to four Test matches or between four and eight One-day Internationals. And if Rashid had been penalized under Level 4, the severity of the ban would have been five Tests or 10 ODIs.

Procter gave a full account of the incident, which according to the Bangladesh camp, cost them the game.

“The alleged incident, which concerns to a delivery bowled by Yasir Ali to Alok Kapali — third delivery of the 28th over of Bangladesh’s second innings — and there was a big deflection.

“Now the batsman walked and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif caught the ball, but the TV replays revealed that in rolling over a couple of times, he picked the ball up from the ground.

“I had a hearing on Saturday evening which involved all the umpires, the managers of both teams and Rashid Latif. After hearing both the parties at length, there was pretty good evidence on TV and I think in mitigation Latif is not saying that he didn’t pick the ball off the ground. “That was all in evidence for everybody to see. He is saying that may be he held the ball long enough to constitute a catch. I asked three umpires present and their opinion on what they saw on TV. I didn’t give my opinion, but Bangladesh’s opinion and listened to the arguments. I thought it over it at length because I had to take a decision one way or the other,” the South African stressed.

Later commenting on his decision not to take any action on the verbal spat involving Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indian batsman, in the final Test of the series in the Caribbean earlier this year, Procter said that he was no position to penalize them since the umpires had not lodged any complaint.

“Yes, I was the match referee in that particular series and the game in which it happened was in Antigua. But because of certain things, such as the appointment of elite panel of umpires and referees, I had no jurisdiction to take any action until reported by the umpire or somebody else.

“(David) Shepherd was the umpire at the end where the incident took place, but neither he nor any other official ever referred the matter to me for a ruling. Here the situation was different since the Bangladesh manager officially lodged a complaint,” he explained.