Sussex Bowler Suspended For Ball-Tampering, Used Hand Sanitizer On The Ball

Sussex pacer Mitch Claydon has been banned for nine matches by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), after using sanitizer on the ball during a Bob Willis Trophy game against Middlesex. The ECB examined an incident in Sussex’s Bob Willis Trophy match against Middlesex on August 23, with Claydon later admitting the charge.

Sussex Sharks have been eliminated from the T20 Blast tournament this year and it clearly means that Claydon will also miss the first couple of games of the 2021 season too.

Sussex Bowler Suspended For Ball-Tampering, Used Hand Sanitizer On The Ball

“After Claydon admitted to the charge a CDC panel, chaired by Mark Milliken-Smith QC, met on Wednesday, September 30 and imposed a nine-match playing suspension,” read an ECB statement.

“The sanction took into account a six-match playing suspension imposed on Claydon by Sussex, which the player has already served. As such the remainder of the player’s suspension is three matches across all formats and included Thursday’s Vitality Blash quarter-final against Lancashire at the County Ground in Hovel,” the statement further read.

Mitch Claydon Guilty Of Breaching Multiple Directives

Mitch Claydon pleaded guilty for breaching ECB directives 3.3 and 3.7. The nine-match suspension for the bowler includes the T20 blast quarter-final too.

The ECB directives say:

3.3 No Participant may conduct themselves in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket, or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.

3.7 Contravention of the Bob Willis Trophy Playing Conditions 5 or 41.2 … shall be regarded as (i) unfair and improper conduct, and (ii) conduct prejudicial to the interests of cricket and likely to bring the game into disrepute.