Graeme Smith Banned

Graeme Smith has been banned for four one-day games and fined 30% of his match fee after Wednesday’s match against West Indies that also saw Makhaya Ntini and Charl Langeveldt penalised for a separate event.

Match referee Jeff Crowe found the South Africa skipper guilty of time wasting in last ODI in Barbados meanwhile Crowe also punished the pace bowling duo for celebrating before the official had given the batsman out resulting in Ntini being fined 25% of his match fee and Langeveldt 20%.

Smith was banned, as it was his second official warning within the last twelve-month period, with his previous warning coming during the ICC Champions Trophy in England last September incidentally against the same opposition.

The banning has enforced the policy that the ICC would clamp down on deliberate time wasting by the captains, following the banning of the Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly last month.