In a shock announcement from Zimbabwe today, the ZCU (Zimbabwe Cricket Union) announced that West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs had been suspended for three one-day internationals following an incident in Wednesday's Coca-Cola Cup match against India at Harare.

According to a press release issued by the ZCU today, Jacobs had been suspended for three ODIs against Kenya on 15, 16 and 19 August. However, the West Indies Cricket Board had already announced on June 13 that Jacobs would not remain with the WI team for the Kenyan leg of their African tour, his place being taken by Courtney Browne.

This penalty does not prevent Jacobs from playing for the West Indies in their next one-day international, Saturday's final of the Coca-Cola Cup against India.

The ZCU statement said that ICC tournament match referee Denis Lindsay conducted a hearing today after video evidence was received that Jacobs had effected the stumping of Virender Shewag "whilst the ball was clearly in Jacobs left hand which was nowhere near the broken wicket". Whilst Jacobs had not personally appealed for the stumping, Lindsay noted that "he had more than ample opportunity to recall batsman Shewag which he failed to do".

Jacobs was found guilty of a breach of Players and Team Officials Code C2 ("Players and/or Team Officials shall at no time engage in conduct unbecoming to their status which could bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute") and of transgressing Point 5 of the Spirit of Cricket in the 2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket ("It is against the Spirit of the Game to indulge in cheating or any sharp practice.")

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