Cards would add consistency to discipline: May

A card system for code of conduct breaches would help take the political heat out of world cricket's disciplinary system, Australian players' spokesman Tim May said on Friday.

May, a former Australia off-spinner, is chief executive of the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) and said his organisation had put a proposal for a new disciplinary system to the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) in May.

The proposal comes after India batsman Virender Sehwag's one-match suspension threatened England's current tour of India. It will be considered by the International Cricket Council (ICC) at their March meeting.

"I believe the ICC have already discussed a proposal similar to this," May told Reuters. "The main objective is to reduce inconsistencies.

"At the moment some guys get charged, some don't. Some get let off, some don't."

The four-tiered system proposed by the ACA would include a demerit points system for minor breaches and white, yellow and red cards, but would not include a card to dismiss players from the field as suggested in Australia media reports on Friday.

Australia fast bowler Brett Lee was fined 75 percent of his match fee on Tuesday after he was found guilty of breaching the ICC's code of conduct.

Lee had given New Zealand tailender Shane Bond an angry send-off after bowling him in the third Test.

INCONSISTENT
May said there was a perception within Test cricket that the rules were not applied consistently.

"I think it's a perception. Cricket is played in different cultures," May said. "The behavioural standards may differ (in Australia) from what is expected in the sub-continent or in the West Indies.

"The more subjectivity you give to a code of conduct the greater perception of some rules for some and some for others.

"Everyone would know what the rules are and where suspensions would apply. It would take a lot of the heat out of the political tensions.

"I think you will find players' behaviour will improve significantly," he added.

May said Australia had won praise for the way they played the game as they crushed England 4-1 in this year's Ashes series and this had been a result of hard work.

"The Brett Lee incident was a one-off," May said.

Also read: A question of answers- Prem Panicker

Mail Cricket Editor