Triffitt sacked, Armstrong sanctioned

The Western Australian Cricket Association has sacked wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Triffitt after his run-in with the law earlier this week.

Triffitt had been contracted to both the Alcohol. Think Again Western Warriors and the Perth Scorchers.

And the WACA has also sanctioned Tim Armstrong, an ‘injury-replacement player’ for the Perth Scorchers who doesn’t hold a Western Warriors playing contract, for his part in the incident which led to disciplinary action being taken.

Triffitt was charged with one count of wilful damage and two counts of stealing following an alleged early-morning altercation in Brisbane on Wednesday. His Toyota Futures League team-mate Armstrong was also present at the time, but not charged by police.

Both players were stood down from WA's Futures League match against Queensland and sent back to Perth. Triffitt will face court in Brisbane on March 7.

Under Cricket Australia regulations, a player can still be selected for State teams despite not holding a contract, however, neither Triffitt nor Armstrong will be considered for selection in any WACA team for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.

WACA Management yesterday met with both players and have now decided both men will also be required to complete a period of community service in the area of alcohol-related harm. Triffitt will complete 40 hours, while Armstrong will complete 20 hours.

Both players will also be fined the full match payment of $960 applicable to the Toyota Futures League game, during which the incident occurred.

“We are extremely disappointed by this incident. We have worked hard on contributing to a positive change to the culture and behaviour of our staff and players to give us the best chance of sustainable success on and off the field,” said WACA CEO Ms Christina Matthews.

“That said, we understand that progress in this area takes time and is not linear and that this behaviour is inconsistent with what we have seen over the past 12 months. It does not represent the culture and behaviour of the broader playing group.

“I want to state that Tom and Tim are not bad people, they are young men who have made a mistake, yet must remain accountable for their actions. We will continue to support both players where possible and the door is not shut on a cricket career here in WA, however, they will need to earn back the trust and respect of staff, coaches and the playing group through their actions.

“Tom has had some disciplinary issues during his time in WA and he has accepted responsibility for that. He had shown signs of progress recently and this is no doubt a significant setback for him. We hope that he is able to learn from this and use it as a turning point in his career.

“Tim has been on the fringe of the Western Warriors and Perth Scorchers squads for a couple of years and had also shown signs of positive development recently. This, too, is undoubtedly a setback for him, however, we are confident it is not a pattern of behaviour.”

Dr Rosanna Capolingua, Chair of Healthway which promotes the ‘Alcohol. Think Again’ message, said it ‘could have been much worse if someone had been injured or killed’.

“Alcohol affects our thinking and can lead to poor decision-making. In the case of the WA cricket players involved in an alcohol related incident in Brisbane this week, it led to poor decisions resulting in antisocial behaviour and criminal charges,” Dr Capolingua said.

“While this alcohol-fuelled behaviour is very disappointing, the appropriate penalties announced today by the WA Cricket Association illustrate that alcohol abuse often has significant consequences.

“Healthway promotes the message “Alcohol. Think Again” in conjunction with many high profile sports sponsorships. The aim of the “Alcohol.Think Again” message is to encourage people of all ages to think carefully about how much alcohol they drink.

“The WACA is taking a lead role in Australia to show that alcohol and sport don’t mix and has been making good steps to create a positive culture in regards to alcohol. Healthway supports the WACA’s decision announced today and will continue to support the WACA.

“Healthway hopes the WACA’s response to this regrettable incident serves as an effective and timely reminder to all sports and sporting role models that they are accountable to community expectations regarding alcohol related behaviour.”