ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Barbados Pride captain Raymon Reifer and skipper of the Jamaica Scorpions John Campbell, could be facing lengthy suspensions for their roles after their teams failed to take the field in the Regional Super50 final last weekend.
Both Reifer and Campbell could possibly be suspended for up to eight months after they failed to be present for the coin toss in last Saturday’s final, which had been delayed due to persistent showers.
As a result, match referee Reon King reportedly charged both captains with a Level 3 breach of the CWI Code of Conduct.
Reifer only took over the captaincy from Kyle Mayers at the semi-final stage, after Mayers was given permission to participate in the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 tournament.
Earlier this week, Cricket West Indies (CWI) declared that both sides had forfeited the match and would not be eligible for either the US$100 000 first prize or the US$50 000 allocated for the runners-up.
It is the first time since 1972 that the competition has ended without a champion being crowned.
Director of Cricket at CWI, Miles Bascombe admitted that there was an infringement of CWI’s Code of Conduct which Reifer and Campbell would have to address.
“As far as I am aware, the match referee has raised charges against both captains, so those would have to be answered to.
“The captains will decide whether they will accept those charges and the penalties proposed, or whether they are going to dispute those charges,” Bascombe said.
In the event that Reifer and Campbell dispute the charges, the matter would be sent to CWI’s Disciplinary Committee.
It has been reported that the proposed disciplinary action could see the captains being banned for up to eight months.
While it has been reported that the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) is contemplating taking legal action against CWI, the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) is seemingly in support of the umpires who made the decision to resume play.
Its president, Dr Donovan Bennett said the captains ought to have followed the instructions of the umpires.
“At the end of the day it’s the umpires who have the right to decide whether the conditions are fit for play or not,” Bennett said.
“So I would have preferred if the two teams had acted in a way acknowledging the supremacy of the umpires in this matter. Yes, I know there were problems with the conditions, I know that there were problems with the time given for warmups to take place.
“And it’s not just [warmups] because some of the players were carrying injuries and would have to be taped, so I know that the players thought that there was not sufficient time to properly warmup and to be properly taped.
“But having said all of that, the umpires are the ones who have the power and the responsibility to make the assessment and to decide whether play is possible or not,” the JCA boss added.
Bennett said he would have preferred if the players had taken to the field and then filed a report outlining their concerns after the match had concluded. (CMC)
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