Ryan Hinds during the Barbados vs. Trinidad and Tobago final of the Carib Beer Challenge Final at Guaracara Park, Trinidad and Tobago on April 19, 2006. - contributed BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
Barbados captain Ryan Hinds faces a two-match ban at the start of the next West Indies first-class season which is set to start in early October, following disciplinary charges arising from the Carib Beer Challenge Final against Trinidad & Tobago last February.
Informed sources told the CMC Sport Wire that the 26-year-old all-rounder was expected to be slapped with the penalty, after he and teammates Floyd Reifer and Dwayne Smith were hauled before match referee Clarence Shaffralli for behavioural infractions during the ill-tempered match at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre.
According to the sources, the disciplinary committee of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) reprimanded veteran batsman Reifer and all-rounder Smith following a hearing into a report from Shaffralli. The findings have also been forwarded to the WICB directors.
All three players have represented West Indies in both Tests and One-day Internationals with Hinds and Smith still currently in line for international selection.
Barbados lost the Challenge Final by 49 runs on the fourth morning of the scheduled five-day game, but questioned several telling umpiring errors, as there were a number of acrimonious verbal exchanges between opposing players.
The umpires were Dominican Billy Doctrove, a member of International Cricket Council's elite panel and Norman Malcolm of Jamaica.
Hoping for double success
In his second year as Barbados captain, Hinds was hoping for double success after regional powerhouses Barbados convincingly won the Carib Beer C-p - stretching the island's record first-class titles to 20, since sponsored championships started 41 years ago, in addition to two international challenge cups.
The sources said the pending penalty worked against Hinds, as he was rejected as vice-captain of the West Indies A-Team for the forthcoming tour to Zimbabwe by the WICB executive at a meeting in Port-of-Spain on June 3, after the selection panel of chairman Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Clyde Butts had recommended him for the job.
Instead, the executive decided to appoint Narasingh Deonarine as deputy to Sylvester Joseph, who was retained as captain for the tour which runs from June 30 to July 26, and includes three four-day and two limited-overs matches.
Although the ban looms over Hinds' head, it was decided he would still be in the 14-member squad for the visit to Zimbabwe, the sources said.
The behaviour of players from both teams during the Challenge Final, which attracted big crowds throughout, was strongly criticised by Deryck Murray, president of the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board, who is also a director and an executive member of the WICB.
In a post-match speech, Murray said the authorities should move swiftly to address the problem.
"Here are the two best teams in the region, role models for our cricket in the future," said Murray, a former West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman and vice-captain.
"We need in the WICB and the West Indies Players' Association to address that issue and ensure that it doesn't happen again."
