ICC lays down law to players ahead of Cup

Following ongoing debate throughout an at-times ill-tempered Australian summer as to where exactly is 'the line' that separates legitimate aggression from verbal abuse, the ICC has warned any players who cross that divide can expect harsher sanctions during the coming World Cup.

The game's powerbrokers are in the midst of a series of pre-World Cup briefings with the 14 competing nations and one of the key messages being imparted is that breaches of cricket's Code of Conduct will be viewed dimly.

The International Cricket Council's General Manager of Cricket, former Victorian Sheffield Shield batsman Geoff Allardice, said today that any player who oversteps that mark between gamesmanship and intimidation would find themselves significantly lighter in the hip pocket.

And possibly serving time on the sidelines if the nature of the transgression is deemed to escalate beyond the base level of mandated offences.

These 'Level Two' offences include displays of serious on-field dissent and serious cases of public criticism or inappropriate comments.

"The main message is that the umpires over the last four months or so have been quite strong in the way that they've been reporting players who step over the line in the way that they conduct themselves to the umpire, or to their opponents or to the game," Allardice said

"For the (World Cup) tournament itself, the umpires probably aren't going to do a lot different in terms of reporting players but the penalties might be a touch higher than they otherwise would be.

"A Level One offence you've only got the option of fines and a majority of the incidents that occur in matches are at that level, so it might be steeper fines.

"If players are reported on a Level Two charges then suspension is an option.

"We don't take the suspension of players lightly and there's not going to be an over-reaction in that regard but I think if a player does step across the line to that extent that warrants a suspension then I think the referees will consider that."

The nature of on-field exchanges became a talking point during the recent Commonwealth Bank Test Series between India and Australia when players from both sides became involved in – and a number were charged as a result of – ugly verbal confrontations.

These incidents led to calls for players to be brought into line more swiftly and effectively, and the ICC has indicated its showpiece quadrennial tournament will be the place to implement these more stringent measures.

Allardice said that while each case will always be treated on its individual merit, it could be expected that the base fine levied on a player found guilty of a Level One offence would be closer to the mid-range than the minimum amount available to match referees.

Even though India's reluctance to use the Decision Review System in Test cricket meant it did not feature during the Commonwealth Bank Series, it remains an element of ICC-sanctioned events and will therefore operate during the World Cup.

While the Hawk-Eye ball-tracking technology will be available for lbw decisions and the 'real-time' snickometer to help umpires adjudicate on catches behind the wicket as well as bat-pad catches, the infra-red 'hot spot' system will not be used in any Cup matches.

"The primary reason is the number of cameras needed to cover all matches under the schedule was far in excess of the number available, so it wasn't practical to do it for all matches under the same conditions so that was the reason why we didn't go down that path," Allardice said.

He also pledged that the ICC was committed to expediting the testing process for any bowler reported for a doubtful action during the course of the tournament to try and minimise the time they might be unavailable for selection.

He said any bowler referred to the accredited testing facility at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane during the World Cup could expect to receive a verdict on whether their action is legitimate or requires remedial work (and therefore be temporarily suspended from bowling) within seven days.

The World Cup begins next Saturday with matches in Melbourne and Christchurch, with the final to be staged at the MCG on March 29.