Kenilworth cricketers need photo IDs to play after being caught using false names, including in grand final
FORGET the third umpire – these cricketers need to submit photo IDs just to play each game after breaking competition rules.
- Club stripped of section nine premiership for fielding player under wrong name
- Adelaide cricket club all out for two runs
A CRICKET club will have to send player photos to competition officials during matches after using a false identity six times last season, including in the grand final.
The Adelaide and Suburban Cricket Association stripped Kenilworth of its C-grade flag in March for playing Ishfaq Khan under the name Ibrar Ahmad in the section nine decider against Port Noarlunga.
After further investigation, the association last month issued more sanctions and demanded the club submitted captioned photos of its three teams for all games next season because that was “the only way to be sure the players named are playing”.
If Kenilworth officials do not send the pictures to association president Phil Davis at tea of all two-day games or between innings in one-dayers, the club will lose the points for that match.
Davis said Kenilworth “made a nonsense of the rules of cricket and our constitution”.
The association has also deducted six premiership points from Kenilworth’s three teams next season, fined the club $330 and handed down bans to its president John Gritzalis (eight games, five suspended) and C-grade skipper Rooahullah Agha (two matches, both suspended).
“We’ve done this to point out to them and everyone else that you can’t play people under someone else’s name,” Davis said.
“It doesn’t seem to be a deliberate attempt to do something, but I’m sure at some stage they became aware of the mistake but didn’t tell us about it when they could have.
“You can’t just hide behind ‘we didn’t know’.”
Khan opened the batting for Kenilworth in the grand final under the name Ahmad and scored 42 not out.
Port Noarlunga officials believed the person listed as Ahmad did not look like the one they had played earlier in the season and reported their suspicions to the league.
The association’s investigation determined Khan had also played four minor-round matches under the wrong name last season and another Kenilworth cricketer lined up with a false identity in the semi-final.
Kenilworth will lose a further 18 premiership points from all three of its teams if the club infringes again with regard to naming teams, player permits or clearances.
The suspended bans will be enforced to Gritzalis and Agha if they offend again over the next two years.
Gritzalis, who also played in the grand final, said the club accepted the sanctions.
“Kenilworth gives our full support for the strict application of the rules, which is essential in order to maintain the integrity of any competition,” Gritzalis said.
“We thank the association for the professional and fair manner in which they have addressed the issue.”