THE?Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) will no-ball Elite and Division One clubs which try, without good reason, to replace a player selected in the original team for the first series, the final two days of which have been rescheduled.
Furthermore, any request to substitute a player must be substantiated by solid evidence of the cricketer’s unavailability – either because he is overseas or otherwise incapacitated – to the BCA?by next Wednesday.
The BCA’s acting cricket operations manager, Roxanne Forte, has warned clubs that there should be no haphazard substitution of players to change the composition of teams for the rescheduled last two days on September 28 and 29 of the first series of matches in the LIME Elite and Division One competitions.
“Players can only be substituted if they are out of the island or otherwise incapacitated for some reason. Players cannot be substituted in order to change the composition of the team or to include a ‘better’ player,” Forte said in a notice which was also sent to match referees on Monday.
Wary that some clubs may attempt to take advantage of the situation, the BCA official said there would be a deadline for clubs to inform the association of any substitutions.
“Clubs will be required to submit any substitute player, along with suitable proof, to the BCA prior to Wednesday, September 25,” she said while noting that teams can contact the BCA?should they have further queries.
The season bowled off on May 4 but the final two days of the first series, which were set for May 11 and 12, were deferred by the BCA?because of the regional first-class final between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago at Kensington Oval.
The BCA said play on both days of the rescheduled matches will start at noon unless otherwise stated by the umpires, who should have the match balls in their possession.
In an earlier news release on May 15, the BCA said it was cognizant of the fact that at the time scheduled for the completion of the matches, it was possible that some members of the teams might not be available.
As a result, the BCA had said that “for this game only”, clubs would be allowed to substitute players similarly to what occurs when players are selected for national duty.
Defending champions Sagicor UWI?will be able to make one obvious replacement as their wicket-keeper/batsman Chadwick Walton has been selected for the first-class section of the West Indies “A” team tour of India.
Meanwhile, Forte told NATIONSPORT yesterday that the BCA?would be looking to quickly settle outstanding protests which would have a bearing on the final positions in both the Elite and Division One competitions.
Title contenders CGI?Maple are protesting the condition of the pitch at the Desmond Haynes Oval which delayed the start of play on the second day of their fourth-series match against home team Carlton. That complaint is set to be heard on Tuesday.
In Division One, CounterPoint Wanderers have also protested the state of the outfield at the Weymouth “A”?venue on the second and third days of their eighth series match against Police.
Additionally, the outcome of the first series contest between ICBL Empire and Carlton is still before the BCA?even though Empire has asked for arbitration after both clubs were informed in writing of a decision taken by the association.
Both teams, with the BCA’s approval, had arranged to play the match as it was originally scheduled but there was no play on the final two days due to the absence of umpires. This match is not listed to be played in the rescheduled BCA fixtures.
A date is also to be set for the hearing of the LIME’s protest over the failure of hosts SuperCentre Spartan to produce a new ball to start the second innings with seven minutes left in the first day’s play of the ninth series.
