da premier bet： The South African cricket team is on a high after winning the Test andOne-Day Series against the West Indies, but another high has bowledsome of them
Haydn Gill12-May-2001The South African cricket team is on a high after winning the Test andOne-Day Series against the West Indies, but another high has bowledsome of them.Six South Africans have been fined for smoking marijuana during thecurrent tour of the West Indies, the United Cricket Board of SouthAfrica (UCBSA) announced yesterday in Johannesburg.But team manager Goolam Rajah denied any knowledge of the UCBSAstatement and declared himself unavailable for comment.Whatever you are talking about, I am not aware of it, Rajah said whenpressed for comment by the Saturday Sun yesterday evening.I cannot make a comment on something that I haven’t seen or read.The UCBSA identified Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Adams, Roger Telemachus,Andre Nel, Justin Kemp and physiotherapist Craig Smith as the ones whowere found smoking the drug in a hotel room on April 10 followingSouth Africa’s capture of the Test series in Antigua.The accused all admitted their guilt and the Misconduct Committee(made up of team management and senior players) accepted that this wasa one-off incident, the statement said.The accused all expressed remorse, apologised and gave an assurancethat this would not happen again.Each individual was fined 10000 rand (BDS$2 500) and severelyreprimanded.In the case of Gibbs, it represents his third offence in just over ayear.In the middle of last year, he was banned for six months following hisinvolvement in the match-fixing scandal.Last May, he was also fined 15 000 rand (BDS$3 750) and given a threematch international suspension for unbecoming conduct related to anincident on the eve of a One-Day International against Australia onApril 14.Part of the fine and the three-match suspension were suspended for ayear.The suspended sentence imposed on Gibbs, however, may not be invokedby the on-tour Misconduct Committee of the South African cricket teamin the West Indies as it was not handed down by that committee, theUCBSA said.It was handed down by a Disciplinary Committee convened by the GeneralCouncil of the UCBSA and thus the tour Misconduct Committee does nothave the authority to invoke it.The Misconduct Committee held a second inquiry following an incidentbetween batsman Daryll Cullinan and Telemachus during a match inMontego Bay.The committee recommended that Telemachus be fined 1 000 rand forverbally abusing another player and another 1 000 rand because it washis second offence on the tour. He also apologised to Cullinan.Cullinan was fined 2000 rand for leaving the field of play during amatch without the consent of the captain. Both players were informedof their right to appeal the decision and the UCBSA accepted thecommittee’s recommendation.