Following reports of misconduct on the recently concluded tour of the United Kingdom and Canada by the West Indies A Team, and a subsequent meeting with the Disciplinary Committee, three players have been found guilty of breaching the West Indies Cricket Board's Code of Conduct.

The three players -- Sulieman Benn, Tino Best and Runako Morton -- were all found guilty after appearing before the WICB's Disciplinary Committee last month and have each been charged the maximum allowable fines under the West Indies Code of Conduct.

The three players, who were earlier this week notified by the WICB of the Disciplinary Committee's findings by way of letter, must pay 10 per cent of their tour fees to the WICB no later than seven days of receipt of the letter.

In addition to the fine, Morton was found guilty of engineering an early departure from the senior West Indies team tour to the ICC Champions Trophy series in Sri Lanka last September under false pretences, through methods to which the player has admitted, thereby bringing himself into disrepute.

Morton has been suspended with immediate effect for one year from participating in all cricket matches held under the auspices of or involving the WICB.

Morton must also seek and receive, as soon as is reasonably practicable, professional counselling as is necessary for him to correct the problems he is currently experiencing with the requisite assistance coming from the WICB through the Leeward Islands Cricket Association.

At the end of the suspension period, Morton will have to submit to the WICB cogent evidence that he underwent the counselling and is fit to resume participating in WICB-sanctioned cricket matches.

The WICB's directors accepted the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee during their meeting in Trinidad over this past weekend.

Lennox John, president of the Windward Islands Cricket Association, chaired the Disciplinary Committee's hearings that heard the charges brought against the three players. Other members of the Disciplinary Committee at the hearings were Mr. Justice Eric Bishop of Barbados, Mr. Justice Anthony Lucky of Trinidad & Tobago and attorney-at-law Juman Yassin of Guyana, all prominent members of the Caribbean's legal fraternity.

Justice Lucky and Barbadian E.H.C. "Teddy" Griffith, another member of the WICB's Disciplinary Committee, have also been working with the Secretariat to complete a review of the Code of Conduct in time for the Cable & Wireless 2003 Series involving Australia and Sri Lanka.

Benn, Best and Morton were all found to have breached Sections 3.2, 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6 of the WICB's Code of Conduct (Revised 1998) during the A Team tour.

The relevant sections of the Code of Conduct in the charges against each player states in part:-

3.2 Players must, at all times, conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the true spirit of the game and shall observe the highest standards and traditions of the game;

3.4 Players must not make use of crude or abusive or insulting or indecent language, known also as sledging or offensive gestures on the field of play and must not engage in public confrontation with umpires, other players;

3.5 Players must, at all times, conduct themselves with dignity and decorum, and shall not behave in a manner reasonably likely to bring themselves or the game into disrepute; and

3.6 Players shall not intimidate, assault or attempt to intimidate or assault an umpire, another player.

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