Gisborne cricketer Timoti Weir will not be playing cricket again after being slapped with a life ban.
A club cricketer has been banned from the game for life after threatening an umpire with physical violence and death.
Timoti Weir was playing for his OBR Cricket Club against the High School Old Boys Cricket Club in Gisborne on December 4 when the threats were made to a player-umpire at the end of the match.
The Poverty Bay Cricket Association alleged Weir had breached the NZ Cricket Code of Conduct. He had been twice previously found to have breached the regulations.
Due to the seriousness of the allegation it was heard by an independent judicial panel. The panel investigated and spoke to witnesses before finding Weir had committed a Level 4 offence. A Level 4 offence is the most serious.
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Weir did not dispute the allegations, so no hearing was required.
Based on the evidence presented, the judicial panel last week decided on the maximum penalty for Weir, while deducting eight competition points from his club.
Gisborne Herald Timoti Weir made the threats following a match between his OBR Cricket Club vs High School Old Boys cricket club on December 4.
There is no right of appeal against penalties for Level 4 offences.
The Poverty Bay Cricket Association handed down the life ban to Weir
Association chair Isaac Hughes said the offending was serious and his organisation supported the penalties handed down.
“The severity of the penalty reflects the gravity of the offending. There is no place for this type of behaviour in the game of cricket.”
NZ Cricket manager of public affairs Richard Boock said NZC was not in a position to comment, and he could not say how many life bans had been issued in the past.
Gisborne Herald It was Weir’s third breach of the NZC Code of Conduct.
In September a Dunedin cricketer who assaulted two opponents was banned from playing for 3-½ years.
The Otago Cricket Association imposed the ban on William John Campbell, 39, saying it was one of the most severe in New Zealand cricket history.
Campbell was wicket-keeping for the ‘‘Mad Magpies’’ on January 25 when he shoved a player in the opposing team, then punched an umpire (who was a player from the other team) in the head.
The game was abandoned. Campbell later pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and was sentenced to 60 hours’ community work and nine months’ supervision.