Ganguly banned for six one-day games

[flanflinger]

Have to agree with this is you get one warning you take it or get punished.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4437503.stm

Originally Posted by Chris Broad

I made Mr Ganguly aware of the potential penalties at the previous hearing and it is unfortunate that this warning was not heeded.

[Occasional Fan]

To be honest I am getting fed up with this guy. He repeatedly flouts the rules and seems to think that he is above them. He was banned for two matches (tests, as it would have turned out) by Clive Lloyd for the same repeated offence last year, a ban which was overturned on appeal. Stand by for an appeal against the present ban: it is bound to come. If it does, I believe he will be cleared to play the remaining games in the current series pending the outcome of his appeal. Then, I just hope that the Appeals Board increases his penalty to the maximum amount allowed - an eight game suspension, without reference to whether they would be ODIs or tests. They can have the rest of his match fee as well, as far as I am concerned. Somehow Ganguly must be forced to realise that the rules apply to everyone.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Its not like he hasnt got any spinners to get the over rate going up a bit, quality spinners at that.

[Nikhil]

Whoops!! Sorry I clicked the wrong option. I wanted it to be "about right", but accidently clicked too harsh.

I guess he does not care about the over rate, which is pathetic. Bowling teams should be penalised with runs; that's the only feasible solution, since there is too much money in cricket for the players to worry about match fees.

[Saad]

First of all, I need to know why you call this thing over rate. Cricket's lexicon can sometimes be so confusing. Second of all I need to know why the skipper alone get's penalized, a/c to the rules, is it his responisibility only to get his team bowl 15 overs an hour, if it is, then I'm a little confused, isn't this suppose to be a team sport? I'm justing asking as I think I'm not particularly aware about this situation, and that is why I can't say if this is too harsh or not, but considering the amount of runs he's made off late, it's actually quite a good thing for India to lose him.

[Occasional Fan]

Every member of the team was penalised this time, to the extent of 15% of a match fee. Ganguly takes the rap more severely as he's the skipper. Same principal applies in all walks of life: the buck stops with the man in charge.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Saad

Second of all I need to know why the skipper alone get's penalized, a/c to the rules, is it his responisibility only to get his team bowl 15 overs an hour, if it is, then I'm a little confused, isn't this suppose to be a team sport?.

As OF stated the whole team got punished on this occasion. But the ICC have dictated that it is the Captains reponsibilty to ensure that the team bowls their overs within the allotted time. Ganguly has been particulrily poor in this respect and so deserves this punishment, I really hope this time that the planned appeal fails to get the ban reversed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4439469.stm

Usha Nath Banerjee - "Treating the slow over-rate as a level 3 offence of the ICC's Code of Conduct is not anything more than a mechanicla operation by the match referee.

"In fact, it is contrary to the principles of natural justice."


Not that Ganguly is the only guilty party during the England-SA series the only occasions whne either team bowled at the 15 allotted overs an hour was when they needed quick wickets.

[Occasional Fan]

Usha Nath Banerjee is talking out of his hat. It is not the fact that the team was bowling slowly which makes this a Level 3 offence. It is the fact that it is a repeat offence. The Code of Conduct is clear on that.

[Maranello]

I am surprised the BCCI are thinking of an appeal. All Indian fans I have spoken to in the past few days, and have come across on this and other boards, and seen on TV news reports, are absolutely delighted that Dravid can take over and the team will not be carrying a passenger anymore. Most Indian journalists and former players had been baying for Ganguly's head for the whole series, hence they are all rather pleased that the ICC has done what the BCCI could not.

On the issue of the fine, I would have preferred the maximum penalty; but six games is a good start. I really do have zero tolerance for players, esp. captains, who break the code of conduct, whether it is by questioning the umpire/referree, or by slow over-rates. Hence I fully support the one-Test ban on Inzi, and this on Ganguly. In the latter's case, it is wilful floutation of the rules on a repeated basis, that surely deserves the maximum sanction.

The key question is - have we seen the last of Ganguly in an Indian international team? If so, what a sad way to end a remarkable career.

[Occasional Fan]

Interesting to see you say that, Maranello. In November, you questioned whether the rule on over rates was appropriate to ODIs. That's not inconsistent with the view you are taking now, of course, which is basically that the rule, right or wrong, is there and captains need to follow it. I'm not sure if we ever concluded whether the rule was right - and maybe we never will! You're right that this would be a sad finale to Ganguly's international career if it turns out that way.

FF mentioned that an appeal is under way (I think). No surprises there, and again I have to support Ganguly's right to an appeal hearing, even on what looks like an open and shut case. I just hope the appeals body shows more spine than it did last time round, when I was moved to comment:

Originally Posted by Yours truly

If I were Ganguly (or any other international skipper), I would basically no longer give a toss about any time restrictions which the regulations for ODIs might contain, as it seems to be the case that you can do what the heck you like and the referees are powerless to enforce the regulations.

Please, ICC, support your referees this time around.