Aussie cricketer cops four-match ban after pitch-tampering caught on camera
Sam Fanning has copped a four-game ban after winning man of the match in the WA Premier Cricket final.
The final of the Western Australian Premier Cricket final has been marred by controversy after man-of-the-match Sam Fanning was handed a four game suspension for tampering with the pitch. Fanning had lead Perth CC to a convincing victory over Bayswater-Morley CC, ending the club's 74-year premiership drought.
However there was a post-script to the 217 run victory, with Fanning cited for tampering with the wicket. He was subsequently issued a four game ban by WA Cricket, with a further two suspended.
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Vision had emerged showing Fanning digging his spikes into the protected area of the Lilac Hill pitch on day one of the two-day match. He would later go on to score 123 from 197 balls as Perth piled on the runs.
WA Cricket General Manager High Performance Kade Harvey: "WA Cricket expects high standards of behaviour from all contracted players, on and off the field. We were disappointed to learn of the incident involving Sam, which did not reflect our values."
— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) March 30, 2023
Fanning, a WA Cricket contracted player who played four Sheffield Shield games this summer for WA in his first class debut, left General Manager of High Performance Kade Harvey 'disappointed' in his actions. In a statement, Harvey said Fanning's actions 'did not represent our values'.
“WA Cricket expects high standards of behaviour from all contracted players, on and off the field. We were disappointed to learn of the incident involving Sam, which did not reflect our values,” the statement read.
“Alongside the penalty, we will work with Sam and provide an education and development plan in line with living our values and making better decisions moving forward.”
WA's Sam Fanning hit with four match ban
Fanning was part of the 13-man WA squad for the Sheffield Shield final, but ultimately didn't make the team. The 20-year-old is regarded as a talent of the future for the state, scoring 137 runs at an average of just under 20, highlighted by a half-century against NSW.
He also scored 50 against India in a T20 warm-up game for WA, as well as being an under-19 representative for Australia.
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