England players fined for 'breach of team discipline' by AFP

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Event:

ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 18th March 2007

 

Several of England's players at the World Cup have been fined for a "breach of team discipline," it was announced Saturday.

 

In a statement, team spokesman Andy Walpole said the breach had taken place here on Friday night following England's six-wicket defeat by New Zealand in their opening Group C World Cup match earlier in the day at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

 

The players - understood to be James Anderson, Ian Bell, Jon Lewis and Liam Plunkett - were, a source said, fined for a late night drinking session at the Rumours Nightclub near England's team hotel in St Lucia.

 

They had been out late ahead of their second Group clash against Canada on Sunday - a match England must win if they are to qualify for the second phase, Super Eight stage of the tournament.

 

Fans who witnessed events then contacted several British newspapers to tell them what they'd seen.

 

Back in the UK, the News of the World, the country's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper, said vice-captain Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff had been involved in a separate incident of his own.

 

Under a file picture of Flintoff in cricket gear with a bottle of beer and the caption: "Bender: Flintoff", it carried the headline "Ship-faced Freddie in shock 4am sea rescue."

 

Its back-page headline,"Sunk' n' Drunk - Freddie fined after pedalo booze shame, topped a story saying Flintoff had to be rescued at 4am after capsizing at sea following what it said was England's "disastrous" defeat to New Zealand.

 

Rival tabloid the Mail on Sunday quoted an unnamed English fan saying: "It seems extraordinary that hours after losing the biggest one-day game of their careers and 30 hours before playing in a match they cannot afford to lose, they are out drinking until the small hours. I don't blame the players but how could the management have sanctioned that?"

 

Other players who were also reportedly out on Saturday evening are believed to have avoided disciplinary action because of their earlier return to the hotel.

 

England cricketers are not subject to a formal curfew, the general view of coach Duncan Fletcher being that what his squad get up to beyond the boundary is not a matter for him provided it doesn't interfere with their cricket.

 

The breach was reported to the England team management at breakfast time on Saturday and the decision to fine the players involved taken at a subsequent team meeting, attended by the whole squad and management, at noon local time.

 

Walpole, who refused to name the players involved, the extent of their fines, or the exact nature of the breach, said in a statement: "The England team management today (Saturday) announced that a number of England players had been fined by the head coach, Duncan Fletcher, after admitting to a breach of team discipline last (Friday) night.

 

"The decision followed a team meeting at noon today (Saturday) which was attended by all the players and management."

 

Down the years, alcohol has been used by cricketers from around the world as a means of both celebrating victory and drowning the sorrows of a defeat, with some coaches and captains actively encouraging such social get-togethers as a way of fostering team unity.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)