Ganguly suspended for two Tests

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has been suspended for two Test matches, after being found guilty, by Match Referee Clive Lloyd, of purposely allowing a slow over rate, during yesterday's BCCI platinum jubilee one-day match against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

The penalty was announced during a disciplinary hearing called yesterday by Lloyd at a Kolkata hotel. After the hearing, Lloyd said to the press, "The ICC code relating to over-rates needs to be strictly observed and it is important for all the stake holders in the game to have matches finished on time. The allotted 3 and 1/2 hours is ample time to bowl the required 50 overs."

Ganguly was found guilty of breaching clause C1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, according to which a captain who doesn't push his bowlers to completed the 50 overs within the required time frame, will get a fine of a certain percentage of his match fees.

However, since it was the second time Ganguly offended the law, the charge against him was raised to a level three, and thus the ban. This means that he will miss the forthcoming two-Test series against South Africa at home, and Rahul Dravid will captain the side again.

The Indian cricket board, somewhat shocked by the news, said it would lodge an appeal against the ban. "We're moving an appeal to the ICC against the ban decision," board president Ranbir Mahendra said.

Meanwhile, Lloyd also penalized Yousuf Youhana and Irfan Pathan, fining them 75% and 50% of their match fees respectively, for an altercation that took place while the latter was bowling to the former.

Posted by Sudeep