Mukuddem found guilty on disrepute charge

A report in the Royal Gazette claimed that Saleem Mukuddem had been found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute after criticising the Bermuda board (BCB) over the way he was dropped during the World Cup.

But it seems that the BCB, who has reportedly dished out a year's probabtion as punishment, decided to send notification to the player by ordinary mail rather than the more usual email, delaying the official announcement of the decision.

"I haven't had anything official from the board as yet ... all I've seen is what was reported," Mukuddem told the newspaper. "I don't know whether it's true or not but what I would say is that if it is true, then I'm disappointed it has leaked out before I have been officially informed. That's not the way it is supposed to work.

"Regardless of the decision I will not be making any more public comments on the matter. I had a chance to give my side of the story and the public are now aware of it. That's all I set out to do. I have done nothing wrong. Anything else I have to say on the matter will be dealt with privately between the board and myself."

In a separate disciplinary hearing, assistant national coach Herbie Bascome was found not guilty on the same charge after he sent a letter criticising the BCB following its decision to cancel his son Oronde's cricketing scholarship. The board was publicly slammed over the decision, not because it withdrew its financial backing but because it was openly critical of his attitude to the game.