A new and restructured Players Code of Conduct for international cricket comes into force from the start of tomorrow’s second Test match between the West Indies and India in Trinidad.
Approved at last month’s ICC Executive Board meeting in Cape Town, the new disciplinary process has been designed to provide a clearer and more consistent Code for the benefit of players and match officials.
“This new Code provides a tougher, but fairer framework for the international game. There are far more stringent maximum penalties than previously, but it is also more transparent and will be applied more consistently than in the past. All players will be fully aware of the punishments they can expect if they flout the laws in future,” said ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed.
There are four Levels of offences under the new Code of Conduct, each with a set range of penalties that can be imposed by the ICC Match Referee.
Another important feature is the introduction of a right of Appeal for the two most serious categories of offence, Levels 3 and 4. Under the previous Code there was no right of Appeal.
Suspended penalties, an option that was widely regarded as ineffective by both officials and players, have been abolished in favour of the direct penalties adopted in the tougher new regime.
read the Offences and Penalties here: http://www-uk.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2002/APR/131851_ICC_18APR2002.html