ICC reconvene inquiry into Ranatunga affair (28 January 1999)

28 January 1999

ICC reconvene inquiry into Ranatunga affair

By Paul Newman in Perth

ARJUNA Ranatunga will be back in the spotlight today when the International Cricket Council inquiry into his behaviour during Saturday's one-day international against England is reconvened. The Sri Lanka captain faces five charges of breaking the ICC code of conduct and could be suspended for a maximum of six matches.

Ranatunga was charged by Peter van der Merwe, the match referee, on Sunday but Tuesday's hearing was adjourned after 90 minutes when Ranatunga, backed by a Sri Lankan legal team, is believed to have threatened action if he was suspended.

Yesterday, just when it was rumoured that there could be a lengthy delay before Ranatunga faced judgment, the ICC announced that the 'trial' was back on and that they will themselves be represented legally this time.

Alec Stewart, the England captain who was lucky to escape a charge for his part in the Adelaide scenes, has been called as a witness, along with Graeme Hick, who was at the non-striker's end for most of the time when Ranatunga argued with umpire Ross Emerson over his positioning after he had no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing.

A number of Sri Lanka players have also been summonsed to give evidence along with Emerson - who was dropped from officiating in tomorrow's match at the WACA because of a stress-related condition - and his fellow umpire Tony McQuillan.

It is an unwelcome distraction for Hick at a time when he is batting better for England than he has ever done, three centuries in nine days together with an unbeaten 66 confirming him as England's premier one-day batsman.

Hick looked back at Saturday's dramas after England arrived here yesterday for tomorrow's match and expressed his disappointment that the second of his three centuries was overshadowed by the controversies. "All the stopping and starting after the throwing incident was frustrating but I just had to switch off, watch all that was happening and switch back on again," said Hick.

Such has been the up-and-down nature of Hick's career that he was still not prepared to accept he is established in the one-day side.

"I'm as content as I've ever been but are you ever really established?" said Hick. "I wouldn't call myself a regular one-day player but I have felt confident for a while now and things have just come right over the last few games."

The change in Hick's fortunes came when he was promoted to No 3 in the order for the Sydney match against Australia and England dispensed, for the time being at least, with Mark Ealham as a pinch-hitter. Hick has not looked back since.

"Some people say they can play anywhere without fuss but I like to know where I am going in," said Hick. "I enjoy batting at three and I had a chat with Stewie [Stewart] before the Sydney match. He asked me to go in at three when we decided that, against the likes of Glenn McGrath and attacks of his quality, proper batting was a better bet than pinch-hitting."

England need to defeat Sri Lanka tomorrow to get back on course to reach the final of this triangular series after two defeats in Adelaide. The extra bounce of the WACA pitch should be to their advantage, particularly considering how Sri Lanka struggled against the short ball from McGrath in Adelaide on Sunday. Whether Sri Lanka must cope without Ranatunga will hopefully be decided today but, whatever happens, they are hoping Aravinda de Silva will return after injury.

Ricky Ponting was recalled to the Australian team yesterday after serving a three-match ban for fighting outside a nightclub.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)